Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday again warned that Ofer Winter’s new People of Israel party could cost the outgoing right-wing coalition seats if it runs alone in the upcoming election, urging Winter to meet with him and address the issue.
Netanyahu’s concerns came as he has so far been unsuccessful in his efforts to unite parties in his bloc ahead of a September 8 deadline to finalize slates before the October 27 election, risking votes backing him as prime minister being wasted if one of the smaller parties fails to cross the electoral threshold.
“I’m concerned that this party could do one of two things: either waste votes or cause one of the parties I mentioned to fall [below the electoral threshold],” the prime minister said during an appearance on the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14.
Netanyahu asserted that Winter was drawing almost no support from voters backing rivals B’Yachad chair Naftali Bennett or Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Lieberman and urged him to coordinate with the broader right-wing camp.
“I say to Winter: Let’s meet, let’s talk. Immediately. To prevent a situation in which a party like this brings down the bloc,” Netanyahu said, while also confirming reports that the two have already met to discuss the issue. According to those reports, Winter refused the premier’s request to coordinate.
