Netanyahu on Ben Zion's resignation: "Calls on the rest of the list to do the same"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Davidi Ben Zion's resignation from Ofer Winter's "Amcha Yisrael" party and called on the rest of the list members to follow suit. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich joined the call, directly addressing Winter, Eran Ben Ari, and Lili Deri to withdraw, arguing that continuing the campaign would split votes in the right-wing bloc and lead to the formation of a left-wing government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the resignation of Davidi Ben Zion from the "Amcha Yisrael" party headed by Brigadier General (res.) Ofer Winter, and called on the rest of the list members to act similarly. Netanyahu highlighted the fear of losing the election: "Winter's campaign endangers the right-wing bloc and will lead to the formation of a left-wing government of Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Lieberman, Bennett, and the Arab parties." Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich published a lengthy statement in which he personally addressed Winter, Eran Ben Ari, and Lili Deri, calling on them to withdraw in light of polls showing the party not passing the electoral threshold. Smotrich described Ben Zion as showing "civil courage" and claimed that continuing the campaign could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state and harm Jewish identity. The "Amcha Yisrael" party issued a warm farewell message to Ben Zion, claiming that he and his family had suffered pressure, threats, and harassment from elements not interested in new forces entering politics, without specifying the identity of those elements. The move comes against the backdrop of previous reports of internal polls giving the party only 2%.