Senior Candidate Davidi Ben Zion Resigns from Ofer Winter's Party Slate
Davidi Ben Zion, a senior candidate in Ofer Winter's "Am Yisrael" party, has resigned from the electoral list amid severe political pressure and declining poll numbers.
The "Am Yisrael" party, led by Ofer Winter, is facing its first internal crisis following a drop in recent polls that suggest the party might fail to cross the electoral threshold. Davidi Ben Zion, the number 8 candidate on the list and deputy head of the Samaria Regional Council, announced his resignation from the slate after discussing the mounting pressure with Winter.
Ben Zion's decision came in the wake of intense pressure from associates of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—leader of the "Religious Zionism" party—and Samaria Regional Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, who is considered close to Ben Zion. Following consultations with Rabbi Levanon, Ben Zion chose to step down. The pressure campaign was also visible on billboards along Route 60, which explicitly called for the withdrawal of both Ben Zion and Lali Deri.
The "Am Yisrael" party released a statement following the departure: "Dear Davidi, we love you. We are deeply sorry for the pressure, threats, and harassment directed at your children and family by actors simply unwilling to allow new and clean forces into Israeli politics. Not everyone can withstand such improper and despicable pressure as you and your family experienced. Thank you for the shared journey."