Lieberman Willing to Compromise on Conscription Law, Foregoes Rotation

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, announced Friday his readiness to join a government that includes ultra-Orthodox parties and to compromise on the contentious conscription law. "It hurts me, but it is permissible and desirable to compromise on the issue," Lieberman stated, emphasizing the need to prevent a "third Temple destruction" and learn from past political mistakes. He cited his accurate warnings in 2016 about border infiltrations and before the last elections about campaign strategies that weakened the "change bloc."

Lieberman argued that the "change bloc" lost seats in the last election due to miscalculations, leading to Benjamin Netanyahu forming a government with 64 mandates. He warned that a minority government would be even less stable and could lead to Netanyahu returning with 70 mandates, paving the way for further national decline. Therefore, he believes national responsibility requires making difficult decisions and painful compromises.

He reiterated his opposition to forming a government reliant on the abstention of the Joint List and Ra'am parties, stating Yisrael Beiteinu would vote against such a government. However, on other issues, including the conscription law, he sees room for flexibility, prioritizing Israel's national interest above all else.

Furthermore, Lieberman announced he would forgo the rotation mechanism in any future government, calling it a detrimental system that harms proper governance. He believes a prime minister should receive full authority for the entire term. Lieberman's proposed strategy involves forming a coalition of 61 Knesset members without the Joint List or Ra'am, potentially adding three to four Likud members afterward, to establish a stable government for the next four years.