Smotrich turns to Winter: "I will give up my party's ministerial position if you withdraw"

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich turned to Ofer Winter with an offer: giving up his ministerial position from his party in exchange for Winter's withdrawal from the elections, along with authority to establish directorates for voluntary migration from Gaza and for drafting Haredim.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued a public statement today to Ofer Winter, chairman of the 'Amcha Yisrael' party, offering to give up his ministerial position in the Defense Ministry from his party's quota in exchange for Winter's withdrawal from the 2026 election race. Smotrich set a condition: Winter would receive full authority to establish a directorate for voluntary migration from Gaza and a directorate for drafting and integrating Haredim, under the Defense Ministry. In his appeal, which was published in full, Smotrich warned against splitting the right-wing vote and repeating the '1992 debacle', when a split in the camp led, in his words, to the Oslo Accords. He noted that according to polls, 'Amcha Yisrael' does not pass the electoral threshold. The offer does not include a response from Winter.