Jerusalem, 25 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Less than two days before Israel’s Oct. 27 election, Ofer Winter’s Am Yisrael party has secured about NIS 7.5 million ($2.4 million) in guarantees and taken multimillion-shekel loans to fund its campaign, Israeli media reported. Those obligations make a late withdrawal especially complicated.
Pressure to quit has been mounting. Most recent polls have put the party at 1.8%, and a prominent candidate, Davidi Ben Zion, announced his departure two weeks before the election. Ben Zion cited fear of wasted votes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the move, arguing that Winter’s independent run endangers the right-wing bloc, and Likud has campaigned against the party in recent weeks.
Winter, a retired brigadier general, has pitched the party as an independent right-wing alternative. In an Oct. 21 statement, he rejected calls to step aside, saying he would not yield to pressure or job offers.