Eisenkot said to prioritize trying to form coalition with Haredim over Arab parties

Channel 12 reports that Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot has decided to prioritize forming a coalition with the ultra-Orthodox parties, apparently adopting the strategy pushed by Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman, who opposes a coalition reliant on the Arab-led parties.

Eisenkot had indicated he would push for a minority government based solely on the four Zionist parties in the anti-Netanyahu bloc, but such a government would still have needed the assistance of the two Arab-led parties to be sworn in.

Liberman has argued that such a government would fall apart quickly and strengthen the Netanyahu bloc, instead pushing for a majority government with the Haredi parties.

But while UTJ has agreed to quietly hold talks with the Eisenkot bloc, the Shas party is much more aligned with Netanyahu, leaving the Yashar chief still shy of a majority without the Haredim.

While apparently taking on the Liberman strategy, Eisenkot’s party still plans to offer space in his prospective government for both Likud and the far-right Religious Zionism party, while leaving out the far-right Otzma Yehudit, Channel 12 says.

Yashar aims to hold a meeting with representatives from Netanyahu’s party next week, according to the network.