Liberman Unveils Party List, Vows to End Haredi Draft Exemptions

Avigdor Liberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, unveiled his slate of candidates for the 26th Knesset at an event in Tel Aviv on Sunday, attended by over a thousand people. Liberman, who tops the list, focused heavily on his election platform, particularly his stance on the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men and his relationship with Haredi parties.

The party's list includes several new faces alongside incumbent lawmakers. Notable additions include Rafi Ben Shitrit, former mayor of Beit She'an and father of a soldier killed on October 7th, and Lt. Col. (res.) Talya Lakhri, former deputy head of the National Security Council's Home Front Directorate. MK Oded Forer is ranked fourth, and MK Yulia Malinovsky fifth. Sharon Sharabi, brother of a Hamas hostage victim and whose family suffered significant losses on October 7th, is placed sixth. The list also features MKs Hamad Amar and Yevgeny Sova, and prominent figures like former MK Dan Illouz and Sharon Rofeh Ofir.

Liberman declared his unwavering opposition to any arrangement that would exempt a significant portion of yeshiva students from military service, stating, "I am not prepared to accept any wink towards Netanyahu and the Haredi parties. Anyone talking about an exemption for 30% or for 4,500 yeshiva students is mistaken and misleading." He vowed that his party's first action would be to promote a "conscription law for everyone," ensuring that all 18-year-olds, regardless of religion, would report for enlistment. He also pledged to mandate core curriculum studies in all state-funded educational institutions.

Escalating his rhetoric, Liberman condemned what he termed "Haredi coercion," asserting, "We will not agree for the Bnei Brak syndrome to spread throughout the country." He vowed to prevent gender segregation in public spaces and to abolish laws mandating gender separation in academia. Liberman also addressed potential coalition dynamics, acknowledging differences with Benny Gantz but emphasizing his focus on maximizing the bloc's mandate count. He outlined further policy goals, including a state inquiry into the October 7th events, term limits for the prime minister, and the establishment of a national task force against organized crime.

Liberman stated his intention to form a government composed solely of "Zionist parties," expressing belief that the Likud party, without Benjamin Netanyahu, would eventually join. He also mentioned his intention to establish a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7th, limit the Prime Minister to two terms, establish a national task force against organized crime, and enact a constitution for Israel.