Gadi Eisenkot and Avigdor Liberman reportedly agreed in a meeting Monday that the next Knesset speaker should be from Eisenkot’s Yashar party, while the Eisenkot-led opposition is reaching out to ultra-Orthodox parties to join the planned coalition.
The meeting was aimed at advancing Eisenkot’s efforts to form a government anchored by the bloc of 48 lawmakers he leads. Because the bloc lacks a 61-seat majority in the Knesset, its members have discussed the possibility of replacing Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana first, which would allow them to advance legislation while Eisenkot persuades other parties to support his coalition.
Liberman, chairman of the hawkish Yisrael Beytenu party, said Friday that the bloc should join forces with the ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, despite significant political differences. During their meeting, Eisenkot and Liberman reportedly gave the green light to the effort, which would include drafting a softened version of a draft law on enlistment in the Israeli army.
Eisenkot’s bloc ran on a program of universal military service, which Haredi parties strongly oppose. But UTJ, a longtime ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is also frustrated by his refusal to pass a law exempting yeshiva students from the draft, and has refused to support him for another term. Shas remained in Netanyahu’s camp.
Earlier Monday, UTJ said it would not join the opposition in voting to replace Ohana, a Netanyahu ally, before forming a government. But the opposition, as well as the Arab parties, still have a majority opposed to Ohana.
According to a Haaretz article, the Yashar party’s candidate for Knesset speaker will likely be Eisenkot himself, holding the position temporarily while he attempts to form a government.
Some reports indicate that Liberman and Eisenkot have yet to discuss the proposal with the other leaders of their bloc – B’Yachad Chairman Naftali Bennett and Democrats Chairman Yair Golan – and are waiting to make an announcement until they have done so. However, Haaretz reported that the entire bloc had accepted Yashar’s control over the spokesperson role.
Reports last week suggested that leaders of the opposition bloc had proposed appointing B’Yachad’s No. 2, Yair Lapid, as Knesset speaker, an idea Liberman publicly supported.
In a statement Monday, Yashar described the meeting with Liberman as a “constructive and productive discussion.”
Ohana cannot block the vote to elect his successor, which requires only a simple majority of 61 votes, provided opposition parties agree on a candidate. He said he would schedule a discussion on the issue after Tuesday’s Knesset meeting if a majority of MKs request it, probably for next week.
If the opposition elects a new president and takes control of the Knesset Arrangements Committee, it could potentially pass bills blocked by Netanyahu, including the creation of a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, although the legislative process would be complex.
Liberman urges Eisenkot to turn to Haredim
According to the Ynet news site, Liberman asked Eisenkot during their meeting to reject the idea of cooperating with Arab parties to build a government, an idea Liberman ruled out. Instead, Liberman promised to somehow gain support from Shas and UTJ despite his years of vehemently opposing them.
Liberman reportedly argued that a government based on Arab parties would be unstable.
The media outlet quoted Liberman telling Eisenkot that “Netanyahu wants us to establish a government with the Arab parties. That’s good for him. A government with the Haredim stresses him; he knows it can last four years.”
Channel 13 reported that Liberman also assured Eisenkot: “You will be prime minister; I’m not looking for this position for myself,” amid reports of a possible rotation deal within the bloc. During the campaign, Liberman openly positioned himself as a candidate for prime minister.
Yisrael Beytenu’s president reportedly sought to assure Eisenkot that he believed a government could be established, but that it would take time: “Give me time to work… You have to prepare your party and the bloc for compromise,” he reportedly said.
Senior UTJ rabbis are interested in negotiating with Eisenkot to join his coalition, the Kan public broadcaster reported Monday evening. But the party has not yet been officially contacted and no negotiations have taken place between its leaders and the opposition bloc.
Channel 12, however, reported that the discussions were in their early stages. The ultra-Orthodox parties are expected to seek a transitional agreement of one year, or even 18 months, to develop a broader draft framework. During this period, there would be no significant recruitment, sanctions or arrests of Haredi draft dodgers, the report states.
The parties also reportedly asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the legal advisor to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for assurance that such an arrangement would pass legal scrutiny, as legislation may be needed to set conscription policy, rather than just a government decision.
As opposition parties prepare to court ultra-Orthodox factions, Netanyahu is reportedly trying to pressure ultra-Orthodox spiritual leaders to oppose any Eisenkot-led government.
According to Channel 12, Netanyahu sought to meet Degel HaTorah spiritual leader Rabbi Dov Lando and Moshe Hillel Hirsch – two of the senior leaders of the so-called “Lithuanian” faction of the UTJ – at their home, or send emissaries to speak with them, but was rebuffed.
Ultra-Orthodox party officials reportedly described the pressure from the prime minister’s office as inappropriate and “frantic.”
According to Channel 12, Netanyahu told associates he wanted ultra-Orthodox parties to vote against an Eisenkot government rather than abstain. Netanyahu is hoping for new elections, believing he will win and then be able to meet party demands.
Despite Netanyahu’s persistent rhetoric against cooperation with Arab parties, one of his close associates reportedly repeatedly contacted Raam leader Mansour Abbas before, during and since the elections, urging him not to support Eisenkot.
Netanyahu confidant Natan Eshel led negotiations with Raam in 2019 with the aim of assembling a coalition before a final new election.
In purported transcripts of their conversations published by Channel 12, Eshel asked Abbas before the election whether he would allow Eisenkot to pass a law barring an indicted lawmaker from being tasked with forming a government. This could prevent Netanyahu, on trial for corruption, from returning to office.
Eshel later asked if Raam would help Eisenkot in the Knesset despite not being invited into his coalition. Abbas said Raam would wait for election results before making a decision; the party subsequently stopped responding to Eshel, the TV station reported.
Eshel told Channel 12, however, that “no message had been transmitted.” He said he asked “a few Arabs” if they had “a minimum of self-respect or if they would support someone who doesn’t want them in his coalition,” adding that Abbas responded: “We will do what is good for us.”
Ariela Karmel and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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