Ofer Winter might offer Israeli voters a new political slate, even supporting Netanyahu - editorial

Winter had declared that his party would only recommend Netanyahu as prime minister after the election, but must now explain how that position aligns with the party's platform of political renewal.

Ofer Winter launched his new People of Israel party on Tuesday, kick-starting what could become a bloc-busting run for the Knesset.

Beyond the retired IDF general’s stated ideology and firm position within the right-wing bloc, Winter is offering something few other candidates can: a genuinely new political slate.

Shaped by a goal of having as broad an appeal as possible, Winter’s list includes some very well-known and some lesser-known faces, all with one thing in common: They have never done this before.

After October 7, the need for fresh faces in both the legislative and executive branches of government has become evident.

The Hamas massacre exposed failures that had been systemically ignored for years, not only by individuals in government but across Israel’s political and security establishment.

That does not mean every newcomer will be better than every veteran. Experience matters, particularly when governing a country facing threats on multiple fronts.

But there is a legitimate argument that the people who helped shape the system that produced Israel’s current crisis should not be the only ones entrusted with fixing it.

Right-wing voters want new faces in politics

Winter appears to have identified a chunk of right-wing voters who, while not ready to vote for the opposition, have become disillusioned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and want new faces on the Right.

Yoseph Haddad is a known quantity across the political spectrum for his pro-Israel activism abroad and his hardline right-wing stance on Arab sector issues at home.

Former Jerusalem deputy mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum has municipal experience without the baggage of national politics. Laly Derai, mother of slain IDF soldier Saadia Derai, is a respected social activist making her first venture into politics.

They, and the rest of Winter’s new list, will be able to go to voters and argue that the faces we see running for the Knesset today are the same people who have dominated Israeli politics through years of instability, including five elections in three years.

They are the same people who allowed Israel’s security to fall by the wayside in favor of partisan political ambitions, and the same people who failed to bring Hamas and Hezbollah to their knees despite a plethora of promises.

That alone is not enough to win votes. Winter must show that his candidates are capable of offering new thinking and, ultimately, competent government. And this is where People of Israel has an opportunity to offer something genuinely different.

The public is not necessarily looking for politicians who have never made a mistake. It may be looking for politicians who were not part of the political system that produced the current impasse, and who can approach its problems without years of partisan baggage.

Ofer must reconcile his party's position for political renewal while endorsing Netanyahu for PM

But one issue Winter must address over the coming weeks and months is the political contradiction staring him in the face.

On Thursday, following nearly 48 hours of speculation on Israeli news channels, Winter clarified that his party would only recommend Netanyahu for prime minister after the election.

“We do not work for any person, only for the people of Israel,” he said. “We are in the right-wing camp, the leader of the right-wing camp is Netanyahu, and we will only recommend him.”

Winter is entitled to take that position. If his voters want a right-wing government led by Netanyahu, he should be clear about it. But he also needs to explain how that position squares with the broader message of political renewal on which his campaign is being built.

The two positions are not irreconcilable. Winter can argue that Israel needs new political forces while Netanyahu remains, for now, the natural leader of the Right. But if that is his argument, he should make it explicitly.

Whether one agrees with Winter’s politics or not, announcing a list free of anyone who held national political office before October 7 offers something Israel has been missing: a genuine chance to start over.

Winter’s positioning within the blocs, and especially his relationship with Netanyahu, will help determine whether People of Israel’s reliance on new faces is merely a political gimmick or the beginning of a post-October 7 model of Israeli politics.

If Winter can offer voters both a fresh slate and a convincing answer to what that slate is actually meant to change, other politicians may soon find themselves trying to follow his example.