People of Israel party chairman Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to focus his efforts on aid trucks entering Gaza, illegal weapons across Israel, and expanding IDF enlistment rather than attempting to weaken Winter's party ahead of the elections.
"Prime minister, I think you've gotten confused again," Winter said, responding to Netanyahu's reported call to continue attacking his party politically.
"Instead of dealing with the People of Israel and the electoral threshold, which doesn't seem to be working out so well for you because we're simply rising, focus on reducing the percentage of trucks entering Gaza every day as protection money for Hamas."
Winter also accused the government of failing to address the widespread circulation of illegal weapons in Israel.
"Perhaps you should also focus on reducing the percentage of illegal weapons circulating throughout the country under this government. And perhaps you should also try to increase the percentage of people serving in the IDF," he continued.
Netanyahu fights to gain three Knesset seats
The remarks came after Netanyahu delivered two central messages to Likud lawmakers during a faction meeting on Sunday, ahead of the upcoming elections.
According to the meeting account, Netanyahu called for increased voter mobilization in traditional Likud strongholds and efforts to recover about three Knesset seats he believes the right-wing bloc is losing to Winter's party and the Reservists/Economic Party list, headed by Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha.
Netanyahu reportedly urged Likud members to continue targeting Winter politically as part of the party's election strategy.
The dispute comes amid growing concern within Likud over Winter's potential impact on the right-wing bloc. The party has sought to prevent votes from being lost to smaller right-wing factions, particularly those at risk of failing to cross the electoral threshold.
Anna Barsky contributed to this report.