Avigdor Liberman drops veto on haredi parties in coalition, opposition in talks with UTJ

Live updates

1. 53m ago

   Liberman Drops Veto on Haredi Parties to Oust Netanyahu

   Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Liberman has lifted his long-standing veto on sitting with ultra-Orthodox parties, signaling a willingness to compromise on military enlistment laws to build a government without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Liberman backed Eisenkot to form a coalition and Lapid for Knesset speaker, while opposition partners initiated talks with United Torah Judaism. Liberman defended the shift by stating that willingness to compromise does not mean giving up values and principles, as the opposition races to build a new government.

   Why it matters

   The political maneuvering centers on the contentious issue of military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Israelis, a policy Liberman fought against for years. By dropping his veto, Liberman removes a major barrier for the Change Bloc, enabling formal negotiations with factions like United Torah Judaism and Shas. This strategic reversal aims to fracture the current political alignment and assemble an alternative ruling coalition.

   What is confirmed

   • Avigdor Liberman lifted his veto on sitting with haredi parties and authorized negotiations to form a government with Shas and United Torah Judaism.
   • Liberman backed Eisenkot to form a coalition and Lapid for Knesset speaker.
   • Eisenkot and Netanyahu are racing to build a government.

   What to watch next

   • Progress and formal agreements emerging from coalition talks between opposition parties and United Torah Judaism
   • Official announcements regarding the drafting of a more lenient military conscription law
   Sources used for this update (24)

   1. Haaretz — Lieberman backs Eisenkot to form coalition, Lapid for Knesset speaker
   2. Algemeiner.com — Lieberman Throws Support Behind Eisenkot, Uniting Israel’s Jewish Opposition and Complicating Netanyahu’s Bid to Retain Power
   3. The Jerusalem Post — Israel Election 2026 live updates: Eisenkot, Netanyahu race to build government
   4. The Jerusalem Post — Avigdor Liberman drops veto on haredi parties in coalition, opposition in talks with UTJ
   5. The Times of Israel — Report: Liberman said to be willing to sit with longtime foe United Torah Judaism
   6. Haaretz — Lieberman signals flexibility on Haredi draft to form gov't without Netanyahu
   7. Israel National News — Liberman: 'We'll compromise on Draft Law and sit with the haredi parties'
   8. The Times of Israel — Trump talks to Qatar’s emir, who cautions him against further escalation with Iran
   9. Ynetnews — Liberman reverses hard line on Haredi draft exemptions to oust Netanyahu
   10. Yahoo — Israel opposition eases on ultra-Orthodox draft to oust Netanyahu
   11. The Jerusalem Post — Avigdor Liberman must be flexible to form government without Benjamin Netanyahu
   12. Ynetnews — Why ousting Netanyahu matters more than the Haredi draft
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