Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael Political NewsAnalysis Coalition members warn that Smotrich voters could be wooed by the alternative offered by hardline former IDF general Ofer Winter - potentially keeping his Religious Zionism party out of the Knesset. Some sources say that Netanyahu could push for the two rival parties to join forcesShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeRavit Hecht02:47 AM • August 27 2026 IDTThe entry of retired general and hardline right-winger Ofer Winter into the political race is having an impact primarily, if not exclusively, on the parties in the governing coalition. The opposition parties won't be harmed by Winter's attempt to enter the Knesset as head of a new political party he announced on Tuesday. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:HamasUltra-OrthodoxLikudGadi EisenkotBenjamin NetanyahuItamar Ben-GvirBezalel SmotrichOctober 7Otzma YehuditCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesAltalenaE1Hasan PikerWest BankNetanyahuGazaMansour AbbasIsrairHaQuizHaaretz PodcastHaaretz CartoonIsrael Must Choose Between Itself and Its West Bank SettlementsDemocrats Tap pro-Israel Lawmakers for Key House Posts, Angering ProgressivesThe New Rabin of Israel's Lunatic Far-right: Gadi EisenkotIsrael's Right Has a Clear Agenda. Why Is Gadi Eisenkot's Opposition So Afraid?Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAn Israeli Startup Is Reinventing Salmon Farming. It May Upend a Global IndustryHasan Piker Talks Hamas, anti-Zionism and Why Americans Are Fed Up With IsraelBeing Israeli Abroad Has Become Embarrassing. You Don't Talk About ItDavid Remnick on Netanyahu, Mamdani and Israel's 'Failure to Face' GazaGermany Found Its Israeli Villain. Will It Continue to Ignore What Produced Him?Ben-Gvir's Ambush Shook Netanyahu – and Unleashed a War for Right-wing Votes