Davidi Ben Zion quits Ofer Winter's People of Israel list two weeks before Israeli election

Right · 2Davidi Ben Zion, the No. 8 candidate on Ofer Winter's People of Israel list for the 27 October Knesset election, announced on Tuesday night (13 October) that he was withdrawing from the race. 1 2 Right · 2He said the risk of the party failing to cross the electoral threshold was high and that he was not willing to let the votes of people who believed in the party go to waste, while reaffirming his support for Winter and his positions. 1 2 Right · 1The Jerusalem Post reported that his exit followed an intensive campaign urging him to step aside over concerns that the party could endanger the right-wing bloc's prospects. 2

Right · 1In his statement Ben Zion described Winter as "a true right-winger, a fighter and a commander" and recalled rushing with his battalion to Kfar Aza on 7 October and serving hundreds of days in the reserves. 2 Right · 1Winter, speaking at a campaign event in Eilat, said Ben Zion had asked to withdraw and called the campaign against his candidates "disgraceful" and "low", saying signs had been hung near candidates' homes and children's transport. He said he understood Ben Zion and his wife could not withstand the pressure, and that the party would "go all the way". 2 Right · 2Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) welcomed the decision, saying Winter's candidacy "endangers the right-wing bloc" and could lead to a left-wing government of Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Liberman, Bennett and the Arab parties, and he called on the other list members to act similarly. 2 1

Right · 2Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) praised Ben Zion's "courageous and difficult step of national responsibility" and called on Winter, Eran Ben Ari and Lali Deri to withdraw too, citing polls showing the party below the threshold. 2 1 Right · 1The Jerusalem Post also noted that a week earlier Ben Zion and fellow candidate Eran Ben Ari had said they were open to a broad unity government that could include Gadi Eisenkot. 2 Right · 1Party figure Yoseph Haddad accused right-wing rivals of funding an aggressive campaign to crush the party, and said it was moving forward "with full force". 2