Ofer Winter Leaves Door Open to Coalition With Both Eisenkot and Netanyahu

Ofer Winter, chairman of the People of Israel party, said he would not rule out joining a coalition that includes both Gadi Eisenkot of Yashar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He made the remarks in an interview with N12 News on Saturday, stressing that his main concern is getting right-wing policies implemented.

Winter said Israel needs a broad government. He told the interviewer he does not exclude working with Netanyahu, or with right-wing figures he respects, if that allows him to steer policy. In his view, though, any such arrangement depends on the formation of a broad right-wing government.

He also made a claim about his party's support, saying that 13% of voters want to vote for People of Israel. That figure stands in contrast to recent polling, which has shown the party failing to cross the electoral threshold.

Winter suggested that fear explains the gap. According to him, a scare campaign has been directed at would-be supporters, warning them that the party will not make it into the Knesset. He said there are hundreds of thousands of people who want to vote for the party, and urged them not to be afraid.

The chairman also made clear that any backing he gives Netanyahu comes with strings attached. Earlier this month, he addressed the question of his support for the prime minister. Asked how he would react if Netanyahu did not act on his demands, Winter responded with a crude insult aimed at the prime minister, and said he meant it seriously. "I don't work for a person," he said.

The demands Winter has listed include a decisive military outcome in Gaza and emigration from Gaza. He also wants a law requiring haredi (ultra-Orthodox) citizens to be drafted into the IDF. In addition, he is calling for a right-wing coalition that does not rely on Yitzhak Goldknopf of United Torah Judaism to supply its 61st Knesset seat.

Taken together, Winter's comments describe a politician who is open to partnering with figures across a range of camps, including Netanyahu and Eisenkot, while insisting that his policy conditions come first. Whether his party can clear the electoral threshold, as polls currently suggest it cannot, remains the central question for his plans.