Right-Wing Tensions Rise Amid Poll Fluctuations for Ofer Winter's Party
Internal polls indicate a decline for Ofer Winter's "Am Yisrael" party, sparking fierce debates within the right-wing bloc and among political rivals ahead of the elections.
The battle for right-wing votes is intensifying as the election approaches. Political commentator Barak Sari stated that internal polls conducted recently indicate a sharp decline in the support for the "Am Yisrael" party, led by Ofer Winter.
According to Sari, recent events have impacted the numbers, including statements made by Yosef Haddad regarding the Palestinian state, Winter's media appearances, and the ongoing campaign waged against him by the "Likud". "Internal polls conducted over the last two days show that Ofer Winter's party, Am Yisrael, is on a downward spiral," Sari said.
Criticism from within the Likud
These remarks follow a report by Anna Barsky in "Maariv", according to which internal divisions exist within the "Likud" regarding the decision to target Winter. Several senior figures in the "Likud" central committee criticized the strategy led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against "Am Yisrael". One official explained that as long as Winter crosses the electoral threshold, attacking him could actually harm the right-wing bloc.
"If Winter wasn't crossing the electoral threshold in polls, the attack might have made sense," the source said. "However, there are hundreds of thousands of right-wing voters who do not feel comfortable voting for the "Likud", "Religious Zionism", or "Otzma Yehudit". For them, Winter is the only alternative. Attacking him is sheer folly—if he fails to pass, the entire right-wing collapses."
Political sources estimate that "Am Yisrael" draws more than two mandates originally from the "Likud" and an additional mandate from "Yisrael Beytenu". These estimates refer to the sources of support for the party rather than specific data from the "Maariv" poll.
Electoral Dynamics and Future Outlook
The "Yashar!" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is also closely monitoring Winter's standing. Party sources indicated that internal assessments suggested if voters felt Winter would fail to cross the electoral threshold, up to 0.7 of a mandate could shift toward Eisenkot.
However, Winter's appearance above the electoral threshold in the "Maariv" poll complicated this scenario. Political sources note that a portion of Winter's audience consists of right-wing voters who distanced themselves from Netanyahu—a demographic also targeted by "Yashar!" and "Yisrael Beytenu"—alongside voters the "Likud" hopes to reclaim.
