Lieberman Ends Boycott, Opens Door to Haredi Parties for Government Talks

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, has ended his long-standing boycott of the Haredi parties, giving his "change bloc" partners the green light to negotiate with United Torah Judaism for government formation. This development, reported by Ami Segal on Channel 12 News on Thursday, comes amid reports of potential cooperation between Lieberman and the Haredi factions.

Lieberman has reportedly chosen to compromise on one of his three pre-election pledges: not to sit with Netanyahu, not to sit with Arab parties, and not to sit with Haredi parties. He is now prioritizing the first two commitments, opening the door to collaboration with the Haredi parties after taking a firm stance against it during the election campaign.

The negotiations are expected to center on the conscription law proposed by Lieberman in 2018 when he served as Defense Minister. While the Haredi parties opposed the proposal then, they are now reportedly regretting that stance. The proposed framework is more lenient than the bill advanced in the previous Knesset, with economic sanctions on yeshivas to be imposed only after three years and no personal sanctions on yeshiva students.

The "change bloc" views United Torah Judaism's decision not to recommend Netanyahu for prime minister as a positive sign for the seriousness of the talks, which Segal indicated are already underway. One scenario being considered is a government supported by 48 "change bloc" members and 13 Haredi lawmakers. Segal speculated that this could potentially lead to a rotation in the prime minister's office between National Unity Party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and Lieberman, though this remains an analyst's estimation and not a finalized agreement.

However, the situation within Shas is more complex. The party recommended Netanyahu, and its chairman, Arie Deri, desires continued cooperation with Likud. Rabbi Moshe Maya also urged against joining a "left-wing" government and called for a unity government. Simultaneously, Eisenkot is exploring the possibility of forming a minority government sworn in as early as next week. The "change bloc" is thus pursuing two parallel paths: an immediate minority government or assembling a 61-seat majority by including the Haredi parties.