Right-wing activists protest Ofer Winter’s independent Knesset run with wreath outside his home

Jerusalem Post/Israel Election 2026Activists accused Amcha Yisrael chairman Ofer Winter of weakening the right-wing bloc, while Winter defended his decision to run separately and back Benjamin Netanyahu.Follow us on GoogleAmcha Yisrael party chairman Ofer Winter speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv, September 2, 2026. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 05:44Right-wing activists placed a flower wreath on Monday at the entrance to the home of Ofer Winter, chairman of the People of Israel Party, in Mitzpe Netofa, protesting his decision to run independently in the upcoming elections. The wreath read “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Gali Baharav-Miara,” in an apparent attempt to argue that the party’s independent run could weaken the right-wing bloc.The protest came after days of pressure on Winter to join a right-wing party instead of running independently. Despite the pressure, Winter submitted the People of Israel’s Knesset list, making it clear that he intends to run in the elections under the party he founded.The Am Yisrael party responded to the placement of the wreath outside Winter’s home, saying: “Friends, you have the wrong address. A flower wreath should be sent to those who, for four years, did not send a dismissal letter to the attorney general and instead chose to surrender to her. Those who, for four years, failed to remove Gali Baharav-Miara from her position can keep dealing with gimmicks and flowers while we make changes. What was will not continue.”Religious Zionist Party chairman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized Winter on Monday, saying: “The only ones who could benefit from Winter’s refusal to unite with the national camp are Gali Baharav-Miara and Yitzhak Amit and their colleagues on the left.”“Winter’s stubborn refusal of every offer for unity in the national camp is very disappointing and casts a heavy shadow over his judgment and the credibility of his promise to recommend Netanyahu for prime minister and to go only with the national camp,” Smotrich added.Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at the Sderot Yeshiva, August 16, 2026. (credit: FINANCE MINISTRY)Winter: 'We are in the right-wing camp, and we will recommend only Netanyahu'Despite running separately, Winter has made clear that he views his party as part of the right-wing bloc. At the end of August, he announced that he intends to recommend Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister.“We do not work for any person, only for the people of Israel,” Winter said, but emphasized: “We are in the right-wing camp, the leader of the right-wing camp is Netanyahu and we will recommend only him.”However, Winter has also set conditions for joining a future government led by Netanyahu. Last week, he said that People of Israel would not join a government that does not pass a conscription law before it is sworn in. He added that his party is not closing the door on political alliances, but would agree to them “only with new ones.”Follow us on Google