A comprehensive survey published in Israel Hayom shows that a new party led by former IDF general Ofer Winter — who has not yet announced a run — would win five Knesset seats and shift about two mandates from the anti-Netanyahu bloc to the prime minister's camp, the only scenario tested that strengthens the right-wing bloc. Winter has not formally declared his candidacy.
A new Israel Hayom survey published this evening shows that a hypothetical party led by former IDF general Ofer Winter would win five Knesset seats and, crucially, shift approximately two mandates from the anti-Netanyahu bloc to the premier's coalition — the only scenario tested that strengthens the right-wing camp. Winter has not formally declared his candidacy.
This finding deepens a thread The Zioneer has been tracking since last week. On Thursday June 18 at 17:50 Jerusalem, two earlier polls under the same brand recorded the liberal bloc at 56 seats and the conservative bloc at 53, and separately showed Winter's party at 5 seats. Since then, multiple surveys — including a Channel 14 poll on Thursday June 18 at 20:53 Jerusalem and a Kan 11 survey on Tuesday June 16 at 20:53 Jerusalem — have documented Gadi Eisenkot's continued surge past Naftali Bennett, while Likud has weakened. Tonight's poll thus represents the first time a Winter-led slate is directly tested as a bloc-shifter rather than a static entry.
As The Zioneer reported across the past week, Winter has been publicly distancing himself from existing parties. On Tuesday June 23 at 20:46 Jerusalem, he stated he would not join any current party and attacked Eisenkot in leaked recordings. Earlier, on Monday June 22 at 16:21 Jerusalem, analyst Avraham Hasson told Channel 14 that Winter believes he is the only right-wing figure capable of reclaiming lost voters. On Wednesday June 17 at 11:52 Jerusalem, reports surfaced that Winter and former justice minister Ayelet Shaked were exploring the formation of a new right-wing party. These antecedents frame tonight's poll as the first quantitative test of a potential candidacy that has been building for over a week.
The poll remains a hypothetical — Winter has neither confirmed nor denied a run, and no party platform or official announcement has emerged. Its precise effect on bloc arithmetic depends on which existing right-wing parties shed the two mandates that shift, a detail not specified in the published results. The broader rightward trend, however, has been consistent across multiple survey houses since mid-June.
3 developments
- DevelopingReport: Ofer Winter, Ayelet Shaked considering new right-wing party
- DevelopingPolitical analyst: Ofer Winter considering running with independent party
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom columnist: Eisenkot poised to leap ahead of Likud if he matches Bennett
- DevelopingSnap polls show Netanyahu, right-wing bloc losing ground since hostage rescue
Source and signal
- Internal intake