Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties may remain outside the coalition — Jerusalem Post
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties are considering not recommending a candidate for prime minister to the president after the election and initially remaining in opposition while the new government resolves the issue of military conscription legislation. The Jerusalem Post reported this, citing sources familiar with internal discussions in the Haredi political community.
According to the publication’s sources, an option is currently being discussed not to recommend either Benjamin Netanyahu or Gadi Eisenkot during presidential consultations. At the same time, neither Shas nor United Torah Judaism has made a formal decision, and their leaders have not approved such a plan.
Conscription law as the main obstacle
Sources believe that a government dependent on ultra-Orthodox parties will find it difficult to pass conscription legislation that both meets their demands and withstands political and legal challenges. Under the scenario being discussed, Haredi parties would remain in opposition, criticize the government’s bill, but would not bear responsibility for its compromise provisions.
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After the law is passed, these parties may consider joining the incumbent government. Jerusalem Post sources said that joining a centrist coalition not based on Netanyahu’s bloc, including a government led by Eisenkot, is theoretically not ruled out for them.
Eisenkot’s position and the role of Shas
Eisenkot, a former chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and leader of the Yashar party, previously stated that he is not prepared to compromise on the principle of mandatory service for the sake of forming a government. His proposed framework provides for mandatory military, national or civil service, the abolition of a blanket exemption, sanctions for those who do not serve, and the possibility for up to 3% of each annual intake to defer service for one year to study the Torah.
Representatives of the Haredi community denied the existence of a secret arrangement with Eisenkot. They also expect that Shas is unlikely to join a government on its own if United Torah Judaism remains outside it. According to the sources’ assessment, after the conscription issue is settled, funding for yeshivas and other institutions of the ultra-Orthodox community will again come to the fore in coalition negotiations.
