The former IDF commander has entered politics with Amcha Israel, challenging established parties over security, responsibility and political independence.
Israel’s political right has long been dominated by established parties and familiar political figures. Ofer Winter, a retired Israel Defense Forces brigadier general, has entered that landscape with a new party and a different professional background.
With the establishment of Amcha Israel in August 2026, Ofer Winter moved from military command into electoral politics, arguing that Israel needs new leadership following the failures exposed by the October 7 attacks.
Winter’s central political message combines national security, military service and demands for greater government accountability.
During the launch of Amcha Israel, Winter argued that the political establishment could not continue operating as though October 7 had not changed the country's expectations of its leaders.
The position reflects his experience in the military, where he served in elite units and later commanded the Givati Brigade during the 2014 Gaza war.
But the transition from military command to political leadership presents challenges.
Military institutions operate through formal hierarchies. Parliamentary democracies depend on negotiation, competing interests, coalition agreements and public scrutiny.
For Ofer Winter, the question is how to translate the principles he associates with military leadership into civilian institutions.
Amcha Israel has proposed reforms involving military recruitment, national security and a special commission to investigate October 7. The party also advocates changes to Israel's judicial system and economic regulation.
These positions place Winter firmly within Israel's political right.
Yet his independent candidacy has generated conflict with established right-wing parties.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other coalition figures have urged Winter to withdraw, arguing that small parties risk splitting the right-wing vote.
Winter has rejected those demands, maintaining that political alternatives are necessary and that coalition participation should involve substantive policy commitments.
The disagreement illustrates two competing conceptions of political organization: consolidating existing parties to preserve parliamentary strength, or allowing new movements to challenge established leadership from within the same ideological camp.
Neither approach guarantees better government.
Amcha Israel has not previously served in parliament, and Winter has yet to establish a legislative record.
Nevertheless, his entry into politics has introduced a distinct argument into Israel's election campaign: that national leadership should be evaluated by the responsibility it accepts, the policies it advances and the results it produces.
For Ofer Winter, the election represents the beginning of a different kind of public test — one conducted not through military command, but through democratic institutions.
