United Torah Judaism Offers Support for Eisenkot Government From Outside Coalition

Elements within the Haredi party United Torah Judaism (UTJ) have proposed a framework for forming a government led by Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yachad party. Under this proposal, UTJ would remain outside the coalition and its Knesset members would abstain from voting against such a government, given the difficulty any political bloc faces in securing a parliamentary majority. Channel 12 reported Thursday evening that UTJ representatives expressed willingness to facilitate Eisenkot's premiership without officially joining his government. The party is seeking understandings with Eisenkot regarding the conscription law, a key point of contention between Haredi parties and opposition factions.

The timing of this offer may be linked to potential coalition negotiations between Benjamin Netanyahu and the Haredi parties. Waving the possibility of cooperation with Eisenkot could serve as leverage for UTJ to improve its terms, particularly on conscription, without necessarily indicating a shift in its alliances. These moves follow a loss of five seats for Haredi parties in the recent Knesset elections. UTJ maintained its seven seats, while Shas saw its representation drop from 11 to six seats.

Opposition leaders, including Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Gadi Eisenkot, had previously pledged not to form a government relying on Haredi parties, having campaigned on a platform of "those who serve," referencing military service. The election results highlight the challenge of forming a government: the opposition bloc secured 48 seats, Netanyahu's bloc won 53, and Arab parties gained 19, with no bloc reaching the 61-seat majority required for an absolute majority.

While UTJ's abstention could aid in forming a minority government, the opposition would still require additional parliamentary support or abstentions from Arab parties, given the refusal of other Zionist parties to cooperate. This offer thus confronts opposition leaders with their electoral pledges regarding Haredi and Arab parties, as accepting UTJ's support from outside the coalition does not resolve the parliamentary majority dilemma. Other proposed scenarios for government formation include attracting defectors from rival blocs or encouraging parliamentary splits, though these remain difficult given the parliamentary weight of Arab parties.