Degel HaTorah Lawmakers Meet Religious Leaders Amid Coalition Talks
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Degel HaTorah lawmakers met with religious leaders, Rosh Yeshivas the Rosh Yeshiva and the Rosh Yeshiva, seeking guidance amid complex coalition negotiations following the recent election. The party is reportedly exploring options, including potential support for a minority government, with the status of yeshiva students and a conscription law being key demands. Meanwhile, Yisrael Beiteinu insists on a universal conscription law, and the "change bloc" is considering compromises on the issue to form a government. President Yitzhak Herzog will begin coalition consultations on Wednesday.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Degel HaTorah lawmakers met with religious leaders, seeking blessings for the new Knesset term.
- The party is reportedly exploring support for a minority government, with key demands on yeshiva students' status.
- Yisrael Beiteinu insists on a universal conscription law as a prerequisite for government participation.
- The "change bloc" is considering compromising on the conscription issue to form a government.
- President Yitzhak Herzog begins coalition consultations on Wednesday.
Members of the Degel HaTorah party met with prominent religious leaders, Rosh Yeshivas the Rosh Yeshiva and the Rosh Yeshiva, on Saturday evening to seek their blessings for the upcoming Knesset term. The meeting occurred against the backdrop of a complex political landscape following the recent election results, which left the current coalition with only 53 seats. Intense negotiations are underway among various factions to form a new government.
Reports indicate that Rosh Yeshiva the Rosh Yeshiva instructed Degel HaTorah lawmakers to engage in discussions with all parties, emphasizing the need to "make every effort to regulate the status of yeshiva students." He reportedly stated, "We are not part of anyone's bloc, we are part of the world of Torah."
These directives reportedly stem from ongoing negotiations for a minority government, which might involve United Torah Judaism abstaining from key votes. Senior figures in the "change bloc" are reportedly exploring a complex political maneuver where United Torah Judaism would provide a safety net for Gadi Eisenkot, potentially reducing Netanyahu's bloc to 46 seats and increasing Eisenkot's to 55. The price for United Torah Judaism's abstention is reportedly an agreed-upon conscription law and the regulation of yeshiva students' status.
While senior figures in United Torah Judaism confirmed that talks are happening through intermediaries, they also assessed the chances of such a move as very slim. However, the office of United Torah Judaism Chairman Yaakov Asher issued a denial, stating, "No directive was given. We have not yet met with the Torah leaders since the elections." The meeting on Saturday was the first such encounter for the party's lawmakers with religious leaders post-election.
A senior official from Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, declared that the first law in any government they join would be a universal conscription law, emphasizing this principle would not be compromised even at the cost of new elections. Meanwhile, a senior Knesset member from the change bloc indicated that they are seriously considering compromises on the conscription issue to form a government, noting that election results suggest the public did not vote against the Haredi community.
Within United Torah Judaism, there are closed-door claims that if the conscription issue is resolved, Shas would join the subsequent move, especially after their significant electoral decline. President Yitzhak Herzog is scheduled to begin consultations with party representatives on forming the government this Wednesday, and the meeting between Degel HaTorah and the religious leaders is expected to shape the party's foundational positions for these discussions.
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