Winter launches nationalist ‘People of Israel’ party; Netanyahu warns it could doom the right

Controversial former IDF general Ofer Winter on Tuesday launched a new right-wing party called the “Amcha Yisrael,” or “People of Israel,” vowing to pursue a hawkish security policy while also working to engender unity across Israel’s diverse citizenry. His announcement sparked immediate pushback from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned that the emergence of several small nationalist parties, including Winter’s, would split the vote and could doom the entire right-wing camp to electoral defeat. Addressing a room packed with some 300 supporters in Jerusalem at the party launch, Winter nevertheless argued that in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, a new party was necessary because veteran politicians had brought disaster upon the country. “Anyone who thinks, after October 7, that the public will accept everything remaining the same in the political sphere, without new people entering the system, is making a bitter mistake.” Winter called the upcoming October 27 election a “referendum on whether we are capable of handling the real challenges of the State of Israel — integrating the Haredim [ultra-Orthodox] into the IDF, connecting Arabs who want the good of the country, bringing about a significant change in the justice system, and dismantling protection rackets and wild crime stretching from the Negev to the Galilee,” a reference to the wave of violent crime in Arab communities. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms Winter, like much of the Israeli political spectrum, argued that there can never be a Palestinian state. And echoing voices on the hardline right, he added that the only solution to the situation in Gaza is Palestinian “emigration,” declaring that “an enemy who starts a war against us will pay a heavy territorial price.” “This is the true morality. This and no other. And for this I promise that we will fight with determination,” he asserted. A supporter attends the launch of former general Ofir Winter’s new political party in Jerusalem, August 25, 2026. (Sam Sokol/Times of Israel) Calling for “less politics, more leadership,” Winter said that as a senior IDF officer, he “saw how distorted concepts cause an entire system to dismiss alternative thinking” — alleging that Israel’s leadership “ignores threats — even when they are right here, across the fence, when with unbearable arrogance we explain to the enemy that we know better than he does what he intends.” Advertisement His remarks were greeted by cheers from supporters wearing “Winter is coming” t-shirts, a play on his name and nod to the popular HBO fantasy Game of Thrones. Winter took pains to underline his right-wing credentials, and his commitment to the political right, telling the crowd, “There are those who are trying to tell us ‘what is right-wing’. Friends, my family was evicted from Gush Katif” — the Gaza Jewish settlement bloc that was dismantled by the Israeli government in 2005. “I’ve paid a heavy personal price throughout my life for the right-wing positions I’ve presented.” He and his party, he said, “are a clear, definitive part of the right-wing camp. We will do everything to establish as broad a right-wing government as possible, with as many Zionist partners as possible.” But, he predicted, he and his supporters would be trashed by some on the right “who are not prepared to let in new, fresh forces.” He did not mention Netanyahu in his address. Many of those in attendance at the launch event appeared to hail from the national religious community, but there was also strong secular representation as well as a smattering of Haredim. Winter has been the subject of controversy for a decade, and was released from the military in 2024 after being passed over for promotion. Advertisement Then-Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, on October 22, 2018. (Miriam Alster/Flash90) He came under criticism during the 2014 Gaza war, when he served as commander of the Givati Brigade, for a letter to his subordinate officers in which he described the operation as a religious war against a “blasphemous” foe. He was also later accused of passing along sensitive information about the war effort to then-economy minister Naftali Bennett, bypassing the usual chain of command. Don’t waste votes Responding to Winter’s announcement, Prime Minister Netanyahu issued his second appeal in two days not to support smaller right-wing parties that may not pass the 3.25 percent electoral threshold in the October 27 election, warning that they could cost his bloc the election. “Today we have three mushrooms after rain,” Netanyahu said at an event in the central West Bank, according to Hebrew reports, naming Winter as well as two far-right politicians, Moshe Feiglin and Avi Maoz. “Whoever doesn’t pass the electoral threshold wastes their votes. Whoever does pass will take down an existing party.” “So there’s only one message for all of the new right-wing parties: Leave, or unite with the existing parties. If you care about the future of the state of Israel, that’s what you need to do,” Netanyahu said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu casts his vote at a polling station in Jerusalem on August 17, 2026, as Likud members vote in primary elections to help determine the party’s Knesset slate. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90) Relatedly on Tuesday, Channel 13 revealed that Netanyahu held secret meetings during the early months of the Gaza war with Winter to discuss military strategy. The meetings were held at private apartments in Tel Aviv, and the premier did not update his cabinet or the IDF about them, the network said. Winter, during the meetings, reportedly presented Netanyahu with plans for the IDF to conquer Gaza. Channel 13 used the revelation to argue that Netanyahu’s attacks on Tuesday against Winter are politically, rather than ideologically, motivated. Advertisement The network said Netanyahu recognizes that Winter’s new party is uniquely situated to siphon off hard-right voters from the premier’s Likud party. Beyond Winter’s People of Israel, there are several additional right-wing parties that have been established in recent months as part of the so-called “ Third Bloc ” aimed at drawing votes away from Likud and forcing a compromise with Zionist opposition parties to create a broad Zionist unity government. Polls published in recent days indicated that Winter’s fledgling right-wing party has the potential to pass the electoral threshold . However, Winter’s success could harm the far-right Religious Zionism party’s chances of returning to the Knesset and even have the effect of shrinking the pro-Netanyahu bloc, according to a poll by Channel 12. According to the Ynet news site, Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich expressed concern regarding Winter’s entrance into politics at a parlor meeting in the West Bank settlement of Efrat on Tuesday evening. Declaring that “there are enough good parties,” Smotrich decried what he described as “dangerous” political “adventures.” Winter’s run was welcomed by Yoaz Hendel, founder of the Zionist Home-The Reservists party, as well as Ronen Manelis, a close associate of opposition bloc party Yashar’s chairman Gadi Eisenkot. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks during a Conference in Yad Binyamin, July 21, 2026. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90) Responding to Manelis’ tweet that Winter’s “success is our success,” Netanyahu’s son Yair posted: “Need more proof that Winter’s run serves the left?!” A diverse list On Tuesday evening, Winter’s party stressed the geographical diversity of its candidates, who come from across the country and who include secular and religious Jews, immigrants and Arab citizens. Advertisement Among those on the People of Israel slate are right-wing Arab-Israeli influencer Yoseph Haddad; Laly Derai, the mother of slain IDF soldier Staff Sgt. Saadia Derai; former Channel 13 journalist Netali Shem Tov; and Sigal Kraunik, whose husband, Arie “Arik” Kraunik, 54, was killed on October 7 while battling the Hamas invasion and massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri. Additional candidates include Eran Ben-Ari, the leader of the conservative opposition bloc within the Israel Bar Association, who called for judicial reform, and former deputy mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahum. Ofer Winter, left, and Yoseph Haddad at the launch of Winter’s new ‘People of Israel’ party in Jerusalem on August 26, 2026. (Courtesy) Winter endorsed Haddad as the country’s next public diplomacy minister, hugging him onstage while supporters applauded. Addressing the crowd, Haddad insisted that Israel needs a new right-wing party “that understands the mentality of the Middle East,” declaring that he intends “to be the first Arab in the Israeli security cabinet,” the key body that makes decisions on Israeli security affairs. He endorsed Winter for defense minister. Slamming the country’s Arab political parties, Haddad declared that Israel’s Arab communities need lawmakers in the Knesset who “represent them and not Gaza, Jenin and Ramallah” in the West Bank. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. 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