Amcha Israel: Ofer Winter launches a new right-wing party with Yoseph

Former IDF General Ofer Winter officially launched his new right-wing party, “Amcha Israel”, in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening. He unveiled a slate featuring representatives from civil society, bereaved families, the military, and Israel’s defense establishment.

Among the most prominent candidates is Laly Derai, the mother of Sgt. Maj. Saadia Derai, who was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip in June 2024. Since her son’s death, Derai has become an influential voice in Israeli public debate, particularly on military service and the equitable sharing of the country’s defense burden. Her inclusion gives the party a strong connection to families directly affected by the war.

The slate also includes Yoseph Haddad, an Arab Israeli activist and social media influencer known for advocating on Israel’s behalf internationally. Winter presented Haddad as his candidate for public diplomacy minister.

Haddad said he hopes to become “the first Arab member of Israel’s first Minister of Public Diplomacy. In his speech, he argued that Arab citizens in Israelneed representatives who “represent them, not Gaza, Jenin, and Ramallah.”

Another candidate closely connected to the events of October 7 is Sigal Kraunik. Her husband, Arie “Arik” Kraunik, was killed while fighting Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Be’eri.

Other members of the party’s slate include former Channel 13 journalist Netali Shem Tov; Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, a former deputy mayor of Jerusalem; Davidi Ben Zion, acting head of the the West Bank Regional Council; and several former military officers and reservists.

On policy, Winter outlined an unequivocally right-wing platform. He rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state and expressed support for the emigration of Palestinians from Gaza. He argued that an enemy that launches a war against Israel should pay “a heavy territorial price.”

The former general also pledged to abandon the security doctrines that prevailed before October 7 and prevent threats from developing along Israel’s borders. At the same time, he called for broader recruitment into the IDF, particularly from the ultra-Orthodox community, and said he would seek to form “the broadest possible right-wing government” after the elections.

Winter left the IDF in 2024 after he was not offered another promotion. With the launch of Amcha Israel, he is seeking to establish himself as a new force on the Israeli right. Some recent polls suggest that his party could surpass the 3.25% electoral threshold, potentially reshaping the balance of power within the right-wing bloc.