Lieberman Urges Eisenkot to Reject Arab Parties, Offers Ultra-Orthodox Support
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Avigdor Lieberman urged Gadi Eisenkot, tasked with forming a government, to reject support from Arab parties and instead rely on ultra-Orthodox backing. Lieberman promised to secure Haredi support, while also agreeing with Eisenkot on a candidate for Knesset Speaker. Ultra-Orthodox parties are demanding protections for a new conscription law against Supreme Court challenges. Prime Minister Netanyahu's office is actively trying to prevent United Torah Judaism from joining Eisenkot's bloc.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman asked Gadi Eisenkot to reject Arab parties and offered to secure ultra-Orthodox support for his government.
- Lieberman and Eisenkot agreed that a representative from Yesh Atid party will become the next Knesset Speaker.
- Ultra-Orthodox parties are demanding that any new conscription law be protected from Supreme Court annulment.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu's office is attempting to prevent United Torah Judaism from joining Eisenkot's potential government.
- Lieberman's proposed conscription law lacks personal sanctions and offers insufficient increases in conscripts for the IDF.
- Yitzhak Goldknopf is pushing for United Torah Judaism to join Eisenkot's government, prioritizing Torah study guarantees.
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, is pressing Gadi Eisenkot, who holds the mandate to form a government, to abandon any reliance on Arab parties. During a meeting on Monday, November 9, Lieberman explicitly told Eisenkot to refuse their support, promising instead to "take care of bringing in the ultra-Orthodox parties." Lieberman, who has been conducting separate negotiations with Haredi representatives, reiterated that he does not seek the premiership himself, assuring Eisenkot, "You will be prime minister."
The two politicians also agreed on a candidate for the next Knesset Speaker, who will replace Amir Ohana. The position is expected to go to a representative of the Yesh Atid party. It is possible that Eisenkot himself will become Speaker, a move that has historical precedent. In 2020, Benny Gantz served as Speaker for just over a month while negotiating a unity government, before resigning to take up ministerial posts.
Ultra-Orthodox parties, specifically United Torah Judaism, are reportedly seeking assurances that any new conscription law will be protected from potential Supreme Court (Bagatz) challenges. This could involve supplementary legislation or clauses within the law itself to prevent its annulment. Shas, however, remains aligned with Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc.
Lieberman's proposed conscription law, which he has promoted since 2018, represents a departure from previous coalition agreements. It notably lacks personal sanctions for draft evaders and proposes only a modest annual increase in conscripts, insufficient for the IDF's current needs, especially post-October 7. Lieberman has emphasized that the law must withstand judicial review.
Yitzhak Goldknopf, a prominent figure among the Gur Hasidim, is advocating for United Torah Judaism to join Eisenkot's potential government. The party's hesitation to recommend a candidate to the president was reportedly due to the crisis surrounding the status of students in religious institutions, with their primary criterion being the government's ability to guarantee the continuation of Torah study.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu's office is attempting to thwart any agreement between United Torah Judaism and the "change bloc." Netanyahu's advisors and even his wife, Sara, have been in contact with United Torah Judaism lawmakers. An attempt to arrange a call between Netanyahu and the party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Dov Lando, failed, as Lando opposes direct contact with symbols of the Zionist government.
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