Lieberman Facilitates Breakthrough in Ultra-Orthodox Coalition Talks
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Avigdor Lieberman has played a key role in advancing coalition talks between the "Change Bloc" and ultra-Orthodox parties by facilitating compromise on military conscription legislation. The ultra-Orthodox parties demanded the passage of a law defining the legal status of yeshiva students before joining Gadi Eisenkot's potential government. Lieberman's intervention, including presenting specific proposals and agreeing to chair a key Knesset committee, reportedly accelerated negotiations, overcoming initial slow progress and disappointment with Benjamin Netanyahu's past government.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman is facilitating coalition talks between the "Change Bloc" and ultra-Orthodox parties on military conscription.
- Ultra-Orthodox parties demand passage of a law on yeshiva students' legal status before joining Gadi Eisenkot's government.
- Lieberman's team joined negotiations, significantly accelerating progress after initial slow talks.
- Lieberman proposed returning to a 2018 conscription law with amendments to meet Supreme Court requirements.
- Ultra-Orthodox parties are reportedly disappointed with Benjamin Netanyahu's previous government's failure on this issue.
Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has made significant efforts to broker a coalition agreement with ultra-Orthodox parties, overcoming a key hurdle regarding military conscription legislation. The ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism insisted on passing a law defining the legal status of yeshiva students before joining a new government led by Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the "Change Bloc." This legislation is intended to comply with Supreme Court (Bagatz) rulings.
Initially, negotiations between Eisenkot's bloc and the ultra-Orthodox parties, who were previously aligned with Benjamin Netanyahu, progressed slowly. The primary obstacle was the demand that the government, not individual lawmakers, introduce the conscription bill. Since a new government had not yet been formed, a legal pathway to advance the initiative was sought.
According to sources cited by Ynet, the involvement of Lieberman's team dramatically accelerated the talks. Negotiators Ronen Manelis and Ronen Aviani, initially representing Eisenkot, saw increased activity after Lieberman's associates joined the process. One source described the shift as a car "accelerating at a turn and overtaking the entire convoy at 200 km/h."
Lieberman reportedly presented concrete compromise proposals to the ultra-Orthodox representatives. His public statements indicating a willingness to concede, coupled with his agreement to chair the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, signaled his serious commitment. This prompted a more active engagement from the ultra-Orthodox parties.
High-ranking political sources attribute the ultra-Orthodox parties' renewed willingness to negotiate with Lieberman to their disappointment with Netanyahu's previous government, which failed to resolve the issue of yeshiva students' military service exemption. Lieberman himself publicly denied direct negotiations, stating that Eisenkot was handling them, but he was ready to assist if requested. He explained his shift in position after the "Change Bloc" failed to secure 61 mandates, proposing a return to a conscription law he advanced in 2018, with necessary amendments to meet Supreme Court requirements.
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