Hagai Loiber Considers Voting Likud Under Specific Coalition Conditions

Hagai Loiber, father of fallen soldier Elisha Yehonatan Loiber, announced on Thursday that a specific scenario could lead him to vote for the Likud party, despite never having supported them before. Loiber stated that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud commit to forming a broad government that includes Gadi Eisenkot's party, he would cast his vote for Likud. This statement comes as Loiber himself had previously announced plans to form a new party to advocate for a broad unity government, opposing narrow coalitions.

Recently, Loiber has hinted at a shift in his political approach, considering running independently or even voting for another party. His latest condition for voting Likud is tied to reports that Netanyahu might explore forming a government with Eisenkot's party post-election. Loiber views this possibility positively, believing Israel needs to overcome partisan divisions and that current political fragmentation hinders effective decision-making.

Loiber criticized the tendency of parties to remain entrenched in their camps and pursue "humiliation governments," arguing that this division prevents the formation of a broad government capable of making crucial decisions. He recalled that Israelis fought together in the past.

He emphasized that a clear pre-election commitment from Likud to pursue a broad coalition with Eisenkot's party would be sufficient for him to vote Likud. Loiber acknowledged he still has criticisms of the current government and Likud, including their perceived responsibility for security failures, the issue of Haredi conscription, and contributing to societal division. He concluded by stating that what others, like Itamar Ben-Gvir, see as a warning, he sees as hope.