Former IDF general Ofer Winter rejected a mediation offer overnight to run on a joint slate with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli media report. Winter is expected to submit his candidate list today, deepening the split in the religious-Zionist camp ahead of the next election.
Ofer Winter, the former IDF major general and potential Knesset candidate, rejected a mediation proposal overnight that would have put him on a joint slate with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, according to Channel 12's Amit Segal. Winter is now expected to submit his own candidate list to the Central Elections Committee later on Monday.
Earlier this week, Winter publicly stated that he would not run alongside Smotrich, describing himself as 'not sectoral' (The Zioneer, July 5). The overnight rejection of a mediated compromise cements a separate run that threatens to split the religious-Zionist vote. Smotrich's support base is already under pressure from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's decision to run his own independent list and from a potential breakaway by MK Avi Maoz.
Likud officials have previously assessed that a Winter independent run could push Smotrich below the electoral threshold. Winter has not officially announced a new party name or list composition; his submission of lists later today will clarify his electoral vehicle.
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