Education Minister Yoav Kisch Warns Right-Wing Voters Over Vote Splitting
Education Minister Yoav Kisch warned right-wing voters against supporting parties struggling to cross the electoral threshold, cautioning that an independent run by Ofer Winter could waste crucial votes.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch addressed Ofer Winter's independent run and the Likud's concerns over potential right-wing vote splitting during a radio interview on Tuesday. Kisch urged right-wing voters to cast their ballots exclusively for parties projected to clear the electoral threshold, revealing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had kept slots reserved on the Likud list until the final moment to facilitate a merger with Winter.
Concerns Over Vote Splitting
"My fear is that the Winter scenario will turn into the left's Merav Michaeli event of 2022—a party that ultimately fails to cross the electoral threshold and results in lost votes for the right," Kisch stated in an interview with 103fm. "Whoever wants a right-wing government should vote only for parties that pass the threshold, not for Hendel, not for Winter. I call on all right-wing voters to vote solely for parties that clear the threshold."
Kisch noted that efforts to integrate Winter or figures from his slate into existing right-wing factions ultimately proved unsuccessful after being rejected outright. He emphasized that the opposition to Winter's independent run stems strictly from the mathematical risk of wasted right-wing votes rather than the personal qualifications of the candidates involved.
"The issue is the electoral threshold that will cause right-wing votes to go to waste. I know that the overwhelming majority of Winter's voters are right-wing. I never said he is not on the right," Kisch added.
Criticism of Domestic Narratives
Turning to recent controversies, Kisch launched a sharp attack against the controversial film NZA and its creators, accusing them of contributing to an internal campaign against the state and the IDF during wartime. He praised the military leadership for examining potential legal consequences, including accusations of treason, regarding statements made by Israelis against the military.
"When we face fabricated videos that severely damage the State of Israel during wartime, or when someone like Yair Golan claims the IDF murders babies during a war, you are inside an atmosphere of false internal harm," Kisch asserted, adding that international media frequently weaponize such domestic statements against Israel's public diplomacy efforts.
