‘I don’t work for Netanyahu': Ofer Winter can be Israel's next kingmaker - interview

Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, head of the People of Israel party, positions himself as a potential kingmaker in the upcoming Israeli election. In an interview, he outlines his vision for political renewal, a double-digit seat goal, and demands for the Defense Ministry, while distancing himself from Prime Minister Netanyahu and criticizing the current right-wing leadership. Winter's diverse candidate list includes Arab Christian advocate Yoseph Haddad, former journalist Netali Shem Tov, and former Jerusalem deputy mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum. He opposes a Palestinian state and religious coercion, and makes military-service legislation a condition for joining a government.

Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, head of the People of Israel (Amcha Yisrael) party, is positioning himself as a potential kingmaker in the upcoming Israeli election. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post on September 17, 2026, Winter outlined his ambition for a double-digit seat tally, drawing support from across the political spectrum, including Likud voters, other right-wing parties, centrists, and first-time voters. He wants the Defense Ministry and advocates for a change in military doctrine "from containment to decisive victory." Winter distanced himself from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating "I don't work for Netanyahu" and asserting that Netanyahu bears responsibility for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. He refused pressure to merge with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party and resisted Netanyahu's efforts to consolidate smaller parties. Winter's diverse candidate list includes Arab Christian advocate Yoseph Haddad, former television journalist Netali Shem Tov, and former Jerusalem deputy mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum. He opposes a Palestinian state, wants to preserve Israel's Jewish character, and opposes religious coercion. Winter made military-service legislation a condition for joining a government, proposing a plan that ties benefits to service.