American conservative commentator Mark Levin attacked Amcha Yisrael Chairman Ofir Winter after the latter refused to withdraw the race for the Knesset, despite pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the current coalition.
Sharing a post on X that claimed that Winter boycotted the other members of the right-wing camp, Levin, a close friend of Prime Minister Netanyahu, wrote: "This saboteur Winter looks like a plant by the left wing. Or he’s the biggest dumb*** of all time."
In a subsequent post, he shared a post in which the author compared Winter to the terrorist who attempted to hijack and crash the FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv, and claimed that Winter is attempting to destroy the right-wing bloc and build himself up from the ruins.
In the second post, Levin wrote: "Yep. Kamikaze candidates."
The criticism comes amid mounting pressure on Winter to withdraw from next week's Knesset elections over concerns that his party will fail to cross the electoral threshold, potentially costing the right-wing bloc enough votes to prevent it from forming the next government.
The pressure intensified following Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz's decision to withdraw from the race. Religious Zionist Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar subsequently urged Winter and other right-wing candidates polling below the electoral threshold to follow Gantz's example.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Smotrich met with Rabbi Eli Sadan, founder of the Bnei David pre-military academy and Winter's former rabbi, in an apparent effort to enlist his influence in persuading Winter to withdraw.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu publicly appealed to Winter to withdraw after dozens of bereaved families from the recent war published an open letter warning that votes for his party could jeopardize a right-wing victory.
"Ofer Winter, listen to the bereaved families, show responsibility and withdraw, for the sake of right-wing victory!" Netanyahu stated.
Later Wednesday, Smotrich offered Winter a ministerial position in the Defense Ministry from the Religious Zionist Party's anticipated allocation of government positions in exchange for withdrawing from the election. Under the proposal, Winter would oversee efforts to promote voluntary emigration from Gaza and the recruitment of haredim into military service and their integration into the workforce.
Winter rejected the offer and announced that Amcha Yisrael would remain in the race.
"Friends, you've got it all wrong. We didn't come here for a job, as you've become accustomed to doing. We came to bring change. We came to lead the way," he declared.
Winter also made clear that his party would not automatically support a future right-wing government, insisting that its backing would depend on commitments to legislation recognizing the status of those who serve in the military and to policies aimed at defeating the enemy and promoting voluntary emigration from Gaza.
"We are part of the right-wing camp," Winter emphasized. "There will be no blank check here. I said yes, and I said but. If they give, they'll receive. If they don't give, they won't receive."
At the same time, Winter pledged that his party would not participate in establishing a government with Yair Golan and dismissed warnings that Amcha Yisrael would fail to cross the electoral threshold.
"Don't believe the scare tactics. Don't believe the fake news and the blatant lies," he said, claiming that hundreds of thousands of undecided voters could support his party.