Netanyahu turns to rabbi to block right-wing rival

Intervention bid

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Rabbi Eli Sadan at a pre-military academy in the occupied West Bank settlement of Eli to persuade Amcha Yisrael leader Ofer Winter to withdraw from Oct. 27 parliamentary elections, fearing his candidacy could splinter the right-wing vote.

Netanyahu was accompanied by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at the Bnei David academy, where the pair presented recent opinion polls to Sadan and argued that multiple small parties risked costing the right-wing bloc parliamentary representation, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth daily. They also contended that the opposition had "organized its ranks better" following Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz's withdrawal from the race Monday.

Defiant response

Winter rejected the pressure campaign in a video published by the newspaper, insisting that his party would "continue competing until the end." "The people of Israel want a different kind of politics," he said, accusing Netanyahu and Smotrich of attempting to force him from the race. Winter said he entered the contest to offer an alternative to existing right-wing leadership based on responsibility, accountability and national unity.

Electoral outlook

Netanyahu acknowledged Sunday that he was "very worried" after a KAN poll showed his bloc winning 51 seats against 52 for the opposition led by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, who led Netanyahu 43% to 35% in prime ministerial preferences. Neither bloc approaches the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset, and Winter's continued candidacy threatens to siphon right-wing votes below the 3.25% threshold despite Davidi Ben Zion's withdrawal from the party list last week under similar pressure.