Lieberman Signals Support for Ultra-Orthodox Coalition, Compromise on Draft Law
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, has agreed to support a government including ultra-Orthodox parties and compromise on the draft law, ending his boycott. He set three conditions: no minority government, no reliance on the Joint List or Ra'am, and no further elections. Lieberman also rejected the rotation of the Prime Minister's office, advocating for a stable coalition.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman will support a government with ultra-Orthodox parties and compromise on the draft law.
- Lieberman ended his long-standing political boycott of ultra-Orthodox parties.
- He set three conditions: no minority government, no reliance on Joint List/Ra'am, and no new elections.
- Lieberman rejected the rotation of the Prime Minister's office, calling it harmful.
- The shift aims to prevent further elections and a potential return of Netanyahu with a larger mandate.
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has signaled a significant shift in his political stance, indicating he will support the formation of a government that includes ultra-Orthodox parties and is willing to compromise on the highly contentious draft law. This move, confirmed in a dramatic social media post on Friday, effectively ends the possibility of a minority government and rejects the idea of a rotation in the Prime Minister's office.
Lieberman's statement follows a report from N12 news that he had lifted his long-standing political boycott of the ultra-Orthodox parties, greenlighting coalition talks with them on the draft exemption law. For years, Lieberman had adamantly refused to sit in a government with the ultra-Orthodox, a pledge he reiterated before the recent elections. However, the current political deadlock and the difficulty in forming a government without additional partners have prompted this reevaluation.
In his post, Lieberman emphasized the need for compromise, stating, "It is permissible and desirable to be flexible and compromise and understand that you cannot grasp too much." He explicitly included the draft law issue, acknowledging that "it hurts me, and I know it hurts many others." He stressed that the national interest of Israel and its people must supersede all other considerations given the current challenges.
Lieberman also outlined three non-negotiable boundaries: preventing a "third destruction of the Temple" (a metaphor for national collapse), avoiding further elections, and refusing to establish a government reliant on the abstention of the Joint List and Ra'am parties. He firmly rejected the concept of a minority government, warning it would be short-lived and lead to Netanyahu's return with an even larger mandate.
Addressing rumors, Lieberman clarified that he has not discussed rotation with anyone and believes the rotation mechanism, used since the days of Shamir and Peres, is detrimental to good governance and should be abolished. He advocated for a coalition of 61 Knesset members without the Joint List or Ra'am, suggesting that additional members from the Likud could potentially be added later.
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