Liberman Unveils Party List, Declares Opposition to Haredi Draft Exemptions

Avigdor Liberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, presented his Knesset slate at a campaign event in Tel Aviv on Sunday. The list features Rafi Ben Shitrit, who lost his son in the October 7th Hamas attack, in the second position. Ben Shitrit has been advocating for a state inquiry into the events of that day.

Liberman used the event to strongly criticize potential draft exemptions for yeshiva students, stating, "I am not willing to accept any nod towards Netanyahu and the Haredi parties." He argued that any agreement on exemptions, even for a specific number of students, would lead to protracted disputes over who qualifies, a tactic he attributed to the Haredi establishment to delay. "This will not happen, we will not allow it!" he declared.

He emphasized Yisrael Beiteinu's commitment to clear and unambiguous positions, contrasting it with what he perceived as vagueness from other parties. "We are a party that operates with integrity and statehood; we have no ambiguous formulations. Everything we say, we say clearly and unequivocally. With us, a word is a word, both before and after the elections," Liberman stated.

Concluding his remarks, Liberman asserted that overcoming Israel's current crisis requires more than good intentions or slogans, but rather experience, determination, leadership, and a leader capable of making decisions. Despite polls projecting Yisrael Beiteinu at around seven seats, other speakers at the event referred to Liberman as the "next prime minister."