Liberman Vetoes Shas Participation, Complicating Gadi Eisenkot's Coalition Plans
Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, delivered a significant political blow to former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's efforts to form a new government. In a detailed post, Liberman sharply criticized Eisenkot's willingness to rely on ultra-Orthodox parties, particularly Shas, in the upcoming coalition. Liberman unequivocally declared that Shas will not be part of any government he participates in, adding to his longstanding opposition to including Arab parties in coalition talks. This stance creates a political deadlock for Eisenkot, who has been counting on ultra-Orthodox support to secure a majority for a Zionist and state-oriented government.
Liberman dismissed Eisenkot's recent claims portraying Shas as having broad Zionist components and justified their military service exemptions as part of David Ben-Gurion's legacy. He called such portrayals "demagoguery," citing a recent Shas rally in Bnei Brak where the IDF Chief of Staff was harshly insulted without condemnation from Shas leadership, including Aryeh Deri and the spiritual leadership. Liberman emphasized that today's Shas, led by Deri and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, starkly contrasts with the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's more supportive stance toward soldiers. He quoted Rabbi Yosef's statements discouraging army service and noted Rabbi Moshe Maya's declaration that military conscription violates religious law.
Liberman also challenged the historical narrative by sharing a conversation with Yitzhak Navon, David Ben-Gurion's secretary, who revealed that Ben-Gurion regretted granting exemptions to only 400 yeshiva students after the Holocaust, viewing it as a moral mistake. Official letters from Ben-Gurion in the 1950s and 1960s described the exemption as a difficult moral issue. Since then, the exempted number has grown to 140,000, many of whom neither study nor work.
Liberman vowed that mandatory conscription for all sectors will be the first law passed by the next government, with no exceptions for religion or ethnicity. All 18-year-olds, regardless of background, will be drafted or assigned to defined civilian service roles under the Defense Ministry. He warned that refusal to serve will result in severe economic and legal penalties, including loss of benefits, funding cuts to yeshivas, and restrictions on driving licenses and public employment.
Concluding his statement, Liberman issued a stern warning to Eisenkot, asserting that Shas will not join any coalition they form and that relying on them is either a false hope or a repeat of past political failures. He stressed that the current government must be replaced only if the opposition remains principled and united without hesitation.
