Lieberman's Dramatic Shift on Draft Law Hailed as Victory by Haredi Public
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party has signaled a willingness to compromise on the military draft law and cooperate with Haredi parties, a move Yishai Cohen calls a significant ideological victory for the Haredi public. This shift suggests the draft issue has been used as a political tool. However, forming a coalition with Haredi parties faces significant hurdles and is unlikely in the immediate future, potentially occurring only if other coalition attempts fail.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman's willingness to compromise on the draft law is seen as a victory by the Haredi public.
- Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party is now open to cooperating with Haredi parties.
- The draft law issue is described as primarily a political tool by commentator Yishai Cohen.
- Forming a coalition involving Haredi parties faces significant political obstacles.
- Lieberman's stance may have ended the possibility of a minority government.
- The "change bloc's" approach to Haredi parties is characterized as cynical.
Yishai Cohen, a writer and commentator for Kikar HaShabat, stated that Avigdor Lieberman's recent shift in stance regarding the Haredi public and the military draft constitutes a significant ideological victory for the Haredi community. For nearly a decade, Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party vehemently opposed cooperation with Haredi parties and campaigned aggressively against draft exemptions. However, Lieberman has now declared he no longer rules out collaboration with Haredi factions and is willing to compromise on the draft law.
Cohen explained that Lieberman's willingness to compromise with Haredi parties to form a government without Benjamin Netanyahu reveals the draft issue as primarily a political tool. Despite this shift, forming a "left-Haredi" government faces considerable obstacles. Lieberman would need to unite other members of the "change bloc," including Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, Yair Golan, and Gadi Eisenkot, and secure agreement on the draft law.
Such a coalition, if it materializes, is unlikely in the current political maneuvering, as reaching consensus with Eisenkot in the coming weeks is expected to be difficult. A scenario involving Haredi parties in a government might only occur later, should Netanyahu and Eisenkot fail in their respective coalition-building efforts, prompting Lieberman to attempt forming a 61-seat government with Shas and United Torah Judaism.
Cohen also noted that Lieberman's Friday announcement effectively ended the possibility of a minority government championed by Eisenkot, as Yisrael Beiteinu declared it would vote against such a measure. The commentator sarcastically observed the "change bloc's" cynical approach to Haredi parties, contrasting their past accusations of them not being Zionist with their current acceptance into a Zionist coalition.
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