Lieberman Urges Eisenkot to Drop Arab Parties for Haredi Support

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, reiterated his opposition to Gadi Eisenkot, who holds the mandate to form a government, establishing a minority government with the support of Arab parties. During a meeting on Monday, Lieberman advised Eisenkot to forgo Arab party backing, promising instead to secure the support of Haredi parties. Lieberman suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would prefer a government with Arab parties, as a Haredi-backed government would pressure him, knowing it could last four years.

Lieberman also clarified to Eisenkot that he has no aspirations for the premiership, stating, "You will be in the role." The two leaders also agreed on the next Speaker of the Knesset, who will replace Amir Ohana. It is widely expected that the position will go to a representative from Eisenkot's Yisrael party, possibly Eisenkot himself.

Leaders of other parties in the "change bloc," including Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan, have deferred the decision on the Knesset Speaker to Lieberman and Eisenkot. If Eisenkot assumes the role, it would not be the first time a prime ministerial candidate served as Speaker; Benny Gantz held the position for over a month in 2020 before forming a unity government.

Meanwhile, the Haredi party United Torah Judaism is reportedly pushing for a government led by Eisenkot, with a significant demand beyond conscription legislation: protection of Torah study laws from judicial review. Shas, however, remains aligned with Netanyahu. Lieberman's proposed conscription exemption law, which he has promoted since 2018, represents a rollback from previous coalition agreements and notably lacks personal sanctions for draft evaders, with a slow increase in conscription numbers that falls short of the IDF's needs. Lieberman has stipulated that this law must pass Supreme Court review.

Efforts by Netanyahu's office to prevent United Torah Judaism from joining the change bloc have thus far been unsuccessful. The party's leader, Rabbi Dov Landau, has refused to speak with Netanyahu, citing a principled objection to direct contact with symbols of the Zionist regime. The party's stance, as articulated in the Gur Hasidism newspaper "HaModia," prioritizes the continuation of Torah study over governmental positions.