ביהדות התורה הופתעו מליברמן - ומחכים להצעה מגוש השינוי

Members of the United Torah Judaism party expressed surprise at Avigdor Lieberman's openness to cooperation, while still awaiting a concrete offer from the "change bloc." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not spoken with them, and Shas has also ceased contact. Senior figures in United Torah Judaism are not ruling out joining Gadi Eisenkot's bloc. They were astonished to hear Lieberman not dismiss cooperation, whereas Shas remains more suspicious of the Yisrael Beiteinu chairman. Senior Shas officials met with a prominent rabbi without Arie Deri, with one source stating the party is operating without a chairman.

United Torah Judaism was reportedly surprised by Lieberman's comments, but they are waiting for a formal proposal from the "change bloc." The party is currently leaning towards not opposing the replacement of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana but will decide on other Knesset positions based on the offer from Eisenkot and his partners. In contrast to United Torah Judaism, Shas's rabbinical leadership is skeptical of Lieberman and does not trust him, though they do not rule out joining the "change bloc" if United Torah Judaism leads the way and the move matures. Shas currently remains aligned with Netanyahu, having participated in discussions about alleged fraud in the Arab sector and announcing their recommendation of him to the President.

Netanyahu has not communicated directly with United Torah Judaism since the elections, except for a brief message. Shas has also not coordinated moves with them. Senior United Torah Judaism members, including Chairman Yaakov Asher and MKs Yitzhak Goldknopf and Meir Porush, met recently in preparation for consultations at the President's Residence. The situation within Shas, led by Arie Deri, is described as more complicated, with a Shas source telling Channel 12 News that the party is effectively operating without a chairman, an almost unprecedented situation. MKs Yinon Azulai and Michael Malchieli, ranked second and third on the party list, met with Rabbi Maya during the day; Deri was not present.

Netanyahu himself is struggling to connect with his long-time partner Deri but issued a statement supporting him, calling him a steadfast figure against media and left-wing attacks and labeling Deri and Shas as "important partners" in leading the country. Netanyahu also praised Deri's contributions to Israel's security in the cabinet. The main question remains Lieberman's intentions. He announced he would recommend Gadi Eisenkot for Prime Minister and Yair Lapid for Knesset Speaker, but he also blamed Eisenkot for the bloc's election failure, leaving his next move unclear. Lieberman stated he rejects joining a Netanyahu-led government, even with a rotation offer, and also ruled out a unity government with Netanyahu. He further declared opposition to a minority government, predicting it would last less than a year and strengthen Netanyahu for future elections, attributing significant mandate loss to the bloc's focus on such a possibility. Lieberman did not explicitly rule out cooperation with the ultra-Orthodox parties but stated he would have no issue with any party that accepts his principles, including the conscription law.