UTJ rabbis seek written draft exemption pledges from Eisenkot bloc, report says
Reported demands for military service exemptions and protection from judicial review complicate Gadi Eisenkot’s efforts to assemble a governing majority.
By John Ferrari ·
Rabbinic advisers to United Torah Judaism’s Agudat Yisrael faction are seeking signed commitments from all 48 lawmakers in Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc as a condition for supporting a new government, Channel 12 reported Thursday. Their demands include sweeping military service exemptions for Haredi yeshiva students and legislation preventing the High Court of Justice from overturning those exemptions.
A document written by senior Hasidic leaders and obtained by Channel 12 calls on Agudat Yisrael’s three lawmakers to pursue those guarantees, along with advance approval from the attorney general. The proposals present significant legal obstacles and appear to exceed what the four Zionist parties seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are prepared to concede following the inconclusive October 27 election.
Channel 13 separately reported that elements within Eisenkot’s bloc had obtained a professional legal opinion concluding that legislation allowing draft evasion could not survive judicial scrutiny. Ynet reported that the bloc was considering suspending arrests of draft evaders for up to a year to attract UTJ. Whether that would involve a cabinet decision or legislation remained unclear, and either approach would likely encounter legal challenges.
According to Ynet, Eisenkot’s allies hope UTJ’s frustration with Netanyahu will help secure its support, after four years in which he failed to deliver promised draft exemption legislation. They also believe they offer the ultra-Orthodox parties their strongest opportunity for concessions, compared with another election or a unity government that excludes them. However, adding UTJ’s seven seats to the bloc’s 48 would still leave it short of the 61 needed for a majority.
Shas, which also holds seven seats, could provide the additional support. It remains closer to Netanyahu and recommended him to form the government, while UTJ endorsed no candidate. Without Shas, Eisenkot would need support from at least one Arab-led party, regardless of whether UTJ joins. Several prominent members of his bloc have pledged against such partnerships. Ynet said Netanyahu was warning the ultra-Orthodox parties that Arab-led lawmakers could protect an Eisenkot government from collapse even if it broke promises to them.
Former prime minister Yair Lapid said Thursday that the bloc would establish a government, while acknowledging that negotiations would require major concessions. Lapid, the No. 2 figure in B’Yachad, said failure would be an “unforgivable act of national irresponsibility.” His remarks followed Eisenkot’s warning, when he accepted the mandate on Sunday, that parties would be unable to fulfill every campaign commitment.
Kan reported Thursday that leaders of Ra’am and the Joint List were maintaining regular contact with senior UTJ officials about the coalition talks. Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas reportedly encouraged negotiations on Haredi military service, arguing that an agreement could gain broader political acceptance. UTJ chairman Yaakov Asher has reportedly spoken repeatedly with Abbas and Joint List No. 2 Ahmad Tibi. The Arab parties have not been asked to endorse UTJ’s draft position, but could eventually be asked to abstain in parliamentary votes.
Those discussions also covered potentially freezing the Kaminitz Law, which facilitates demolition of illegal buildings amid difficulties obtaining permits in Arab towns. Separately, Haaretz reported that new Likud lawmaker Jacob Bardugo had urged Netanyahu to intensify unproven allegations that Arab parties stole the election and proposed demonstrations seeking its annulment. The newspaper also linked Bardugo’s growing influence to Netanyahu’s Tuesday speech attacking Arab lawmakers.
