Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly met one-on-one with Ofer Winter before the former IDF general launched his Amcha Yisrael party, offering him a reserved spot on the Likud slate along with additional reserved slots for other candidates, Channel 12 reported.

The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office. Winter rejected Netanyahu’s offer and instead moved forward with launching his own independent party.

Winter’s decision to even hold the meeting reportedly surprised members of his inner circle. In recent months, he had told confidants that he had no intention of meeting with or running alongside politicians currently serving in office. His immediate rejection of a deal with Likud also raised concerns among Netanyahu’s associates that Winter could ultimately join an alternative coalition.

Two days after launching Amcha Yisrael, however, Winter publicly clarified that following the election he would recommend only Netanyahu to form the next government.

“We do not work for anyone, only the people of Israel,” Winter said. “We will not dance to anyone’s flute.”

The clarification came following pressure from Netanyahu’s circle and his son Yair Netanyahu, who had written on social media that “Winter will recommend Liberman as prime minister.”

Despite Winter’s declaration of support for Netanyahu, concerns reportedly remain inside Likud. Likud sources said they “are not calm,” arguing that Winter had left matters open-ended and noting that Naftali Bennett had made similar statements in the past.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)