Ofer Winter, chairman of the Amcha Yisrael party, addressed briefings against him and his party on Tuesday evening at a party conference in Rishon L’Tzion, launching an attack against Likud and Avigdor Liberman.
Winter said: “We are in the Aseres Yemei Teshuva and davka; during these days, I’m hearing harsh statements: ‘He needs to be dismantled, he needs to be taken down, it’s time to eliminate him.'”
He claimed, “These are quotes from Likud members against a man whom, just a minute and a half ago, they were pushing to reserve a spot for on their list.”
He added that the massacre occurred “as a result of years of reckless policies by the military and political leadership — not as an act of fate.”
Winter then directed criticism at Netanyahu’s inner circle: “Unfortunately, the prime minister’s associates and advisers are giving him terrible advice. They are disconnected from what is happening on the ground. They don’t understand the state of the right-wing camp, and they are intoxicated by fictitious polls presented to them by pollsters with vested interests, who are trapping the right in the misconception that victory is already in the bag.”
Winter further claimed that there were deliberate attempts to harm his party and its members: “They tried to forcefully merge us, they tried and are trying to come after us, they tried to dismantle us, they tried to threaten us, they sent private investigators, they sent hate messages to my phone and the phones of every member of the party — and we’re still here.”
Likud responded sharply: “A complete lie. We demand that Winter retract his false and baseless accusations. If he doesn’t do so, Likud will file a defamation lawsuit against him.
“It’s unfortunate that instead of attacking the left and preventing the formation of a government comprised of Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Liberman and the Arab parties, Winter is choosing to undermine a right-wing victory in the elections.”
Following Likud’s response, a statement on Winter’s behalf said: “At no point in his speech did Ofer Winter say that Likud was the one that sent private investigators to his home.”
Winter also attacked Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman, claiming that he is misleading his voters by telling them that he can deliver a decisive outcome and a new direction for the right: “Anyone who is counting on senior partners like Yair Golan in the government cannot achieve a decisive outcome. With them, it simply cannot happen.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
