Israel Beiteinu and Yashar! Agree on Knesset Speaker Nominee
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman and "Yashar!" Chairman Gadi Eisenkot have agreed that the next Knesset Speaker will be from Eisenkot's party. This deal comes as Eisenkot works to form a government, having received a mandate from President Herzog. The agreement addresses concerns from United Torah Judaism, who seek concrete guarantees for the conscription law's passage, learning from past unfulfilled coalition promises.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman and Gadi Eisenkot agreed the next Knesset Speaker will be from Eisenkot's "Yashar!" party.
- United Torah Judaism sought interim Speaker Yaakov Asher as political insurance for the conscription law.
- UTJ demands concrete guarantees, citing past unfulfilled coalition promises on the conscription law.
- Gadi Eisenkot has 28 days, until December 6, 2026, to form a government.
- Lieberman appears to have dropped his demand for an immediate vote to replace the current Speaker.
A deal has been struck between Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman and "Yashar!" Chairman Gadi Eisenkot, agreeing that the next Knesset Speaker will be chosen from the "Yashar!" party. This agreement was reached during talks between Lieberman and Eisenkot, who is currently tasked with forming a government after receiving the mandate from President Yitzhak Herzog. Eisenkot has 28 days, until December 6, 2026, with a possible 14-day extension, to present a government.
Earlier discussions involving the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party and the "change bloc" had raised the possibility of appointing MK Yaakov Asher as interim Knesset Speaker. This proposal was intended as a political "insurance policy" for the ultra-Orthodox party, aiming to ensure the immediate advancement of the conscription law by giving them control over the Knesset's agenda. This idea emerged before the final agreement between Lieberman and Eisenkot.
The UTJ's insistence on concrete guarantees, rather than verbal promises, stems from past experiences where coalition agreements, including commitments to pass the conscription law under Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government, failed to materialize. UTJ has made it clear that any political cooperation is contingent on maintaining the status quo regarding yeshiva students.
While Lieberman had previously demanded an immediate vote to replace the current Speaker Amir Ohana, he now appears willing to defer this in exchange for the agreement that a "Yashar!" representative will hold the position. The "change bloc" had initially hoped for a party leader to be appointed Speaker, who would then resign upon government formation, but the identity of the "Yashar!" nominee has not yet been disclosed. The "Yashar!" party's agreement to this arrangement represents a departure from Lieberman's earlier preference for Yair Lapid to fill the role.
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