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

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1. 57m ago

   Liberman Drops Veto on Haredi Parties to Form Coalition

   Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman dropped his long-standing veto on ultra-Orthodox parties, allowing Change Bloc partners to open coalition negotiations with United Torah Judaism and Shas. Liberman signaled flexibility regarding military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox individuals, aiming to build a government without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism chairman Yakov Asher responded positively to the political flexibility displayed over military conscription, and a party official indicated willingness to join a change-bloc government if a draft agreement is successfully reached. Meanwhile, Eisenkot maintained a stance supporting mandatory service as political factions race to build a government.

   Why it matters

   The political maneuvering follows recent election setbacks for Yisrael Beytenu, prompting a stark reversal from Liberman's previous demands for universal conscription and cuts to benefits for draft dodgers. Formation efforts involve intense competition to oust Netanyahu and reshape the coalition arithmetic in the Knesset. The shift opens a potential pathway for a non-Netanyahu government, though substantial hurdles remain over reconciling mandatory military service with ultra-Orthodox exemptions.

   What is confirmed

   • Avigdor Liberman lifted his veto on sitting with haredi parties in a coalition.
   • United Torah Judaism chairman Yakov Asher acknowledged the flexibility displayed by political players regarding military conscription.
   • Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman previously ruled out forming a coalition with Netanyahu and the Haredi parties before the election.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The change bloc is reportedly discussing the possibility of drafting a more lenient military conscription law to accommodate ultra-Orthodox coalition partners.

   What to watch next

   • Formal coalition agreements between the Change Bloc and ultra-Orthodox parties like United Torah Judaism or Shas
   • Progress on a compromise military conscription bill acceptable to both Liberman and ultra-Orthodox factions
   • Knesset developments regarding the government formation race between Eisenkot and Netanyahu
   Sources used for this update (20)

   1. www.jpost.com — The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and...
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   3. The Jerusalem Post — Avigdor Liberman drops veto on haredi parties in coalition, opposition in talks with UTJ
   4. The Jerusalem Post — Israel Election 2026 live updates: Eisenkot, Netanyahu race to build government
   5. Haaretz — Lieberman signals flexibility on Haredi draft to form gov't without Netanyahu
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   7. Yahoo — Israel opposition eases on ultra-Orthodox draft to oust Netanyahu
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   9. Ynetnews — From 'no exemptions' to compromise: Liberman's sudden U-turn on Haredi draft
   10. The Jerusalem Post — Avigdor Liberman issues coalition conditions, allowing for haredi IDF draft compromises
   11. The Times of Israel — Eisenkot stands by mandatory service after Liberman opens door to ultra-Orthodox parties
   12. www.jpost.com — Avigdor Liberman drops veto on haredi parties in coalition ...
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