Lieberman calls universal service a condition for forming Israel’s government — Jerusalem Post

Yisrael Beiteinu party leader and Knesset member Avigdor Lieberman said at a conference in Haifa, Israel, that a universal obligation to perform military or civilian service would be an indispensable condition for forming the next government. The Jerusalem Post reports.

Speaking to students of liberal pre-military preparatory programs, Lieberman said that this obligation should apply to everyone, including ultra-Orthodox Jews, Arabs, Christians and Circassians. Under his proposal, service could be performed in two tracks — military service or civilian service.

The politician noted that the civilian track should be administered by Israel’s Ministry of Defense without the involvement of non-profit organizations or intermediaries. He stressed that he would not agree to compromises on this issue while forming a coalition after the elections.

Proposal for a constitution

Separately, Lieberman proposed adopting a constitution for Israel. He said that, in his view, the Knesset is incapable of independently drafting and approving such a document. The politician proposes that the government appoint a group of experts to prepare a draft constitution within six months.

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At the same time, under his plan, parliament should pass a referendum law, while the constitution itself would need to be approved by a nationwide vote outside the Knesset voting procedure. Lieberman believes the document should regulate relations between religion and the state, the branches of government, and enshrine the fundamental values of Zionism.

Criticism of the coalition and elections

Lieberman also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other representatives of the ruling coalition. According to him, retaining power is more important to them than security issues, while coalition politicians are focused on the interests of their own groups.

Responding to a question about possible support for a candidate for prime minister after the elections, Lieberman did not name a specific person. He said that the bloc’s parties must first strengthen their results as much as possible, and after the vote they would be able to agree on the distribution of positions. According to him, 63–64 seats in the Knesset are needed to form a stable majority.