Ben Gvir rules out surplus-vote deal with Winter, calls him ‘Bennett 2’

National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir declined to sign a vote-surplus-sharing pact with Ofer Winter, leader of the People of Israel party, on Tuesday. Winter, who is Ben-Gvir's brother Naftali Bennett II from B Yachad party, criticized Ben-Gvir's suggestion that voting for Winter is akin to voting for Ben-Gvir.

Winter accused Ben-Gvir of using gimmicks and unbecoming tactics, and warned that the false campaign against a right-wing figure who has endured significant hardships would not resonate with voters. The poll suggests People of Israel may not meet the electoral threshold, with Otzma Yehudit forecast to secure eight Knesset seats, while People of Israel is anticipated to receive 2.8% of the vote, failing to pass the 3.25% threshold.

Several aligned parties have previously agreed to share surplus votes, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and several haredi parties. The opposition parties have also signed surplus vote-sharing agreements, with the deal taking effect only if both parties exceed the electoral threshold.