Netanyahu and Smotrich meet with a rabbi close to Winter to pressure him to withdraw from the elections. The latter attacks: “An ugly campaign.”

Tel Aviv - Ofek News - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich met today, Tuesday, with Rabbi Eli Sadan, founder and president of the Military Religious Institute in the Eli settlement in the West Bank, and one of the most prominent mentors of Ofer Winter, head of the “Amach Yisrael” party, in an attempt to pressure him to withdraw from the race for the upcoming elections.

The meeting came amid efforts within the Israeli right-wing camp to push Winter to withdraw, amid fears that his running in the elections on an independent list would weaken the right-wing camp.

In response to the meeting, Winter launched an attack on Netanyahu and Smotrich, stressing that he would not withdraw from the electoral race.

Winter said, in a letter addressed to Netanyahu: “I heard that you and Smotrich are on your way to Rabbi Elie Sadan to put pressure on me to withdraw.”

He added that the Israelis want a different policy, noting that they are tired of, as he put it, “the ugly and immoral campaign that you are leading, and the dishonest methods that you are using.”

He continued, attacking Netanyahu and Smotrich: “Tell us what you are good at, instead of trampling on others in order to advance.”

Winter stressed that his party seeks to present a leadership alternative to the Israeli right, based on assuming responsibility and admitting mistakes, saying: “We came to present an alternative to a different leadership for the right; A leadership that bears responsibility and knows how to say: I failed and made a mistake.”

He stressed that his party will continue to run in the elections, adding: “We are here only for the people of Israel, and we will go until the end with all our strength.”