Eisenkot’s Yashar invites Haredi factions to back Knesset speaker replacement

Yashar faction chairman Roy Folkman has invited the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties to join an effort to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana at the inaugural session of the 26th Knesset tomorrow, according to the party.

The six parties in the anti-Netanyahu bloc have all demanded a vote to replace Ohana and are expected to announce their candidate for the position later today. Ohana, a Likud lawmaker, has said he will not hold such a vote during the new Knesset’s inaugural session, but will schedule one within the following week if a majority of lawmakers formally request it.

In letters to the Haredi faction leaders, Folkman says the collection of signatures for the formal request is underway and invites them to join.

The overture also signals a possible willingness by Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot to cooperate with the ultra-Orthodox parties in forming his government, potentially through their external support or abstention in parliamentary votes. UTJ has reportedly been considering allowing an Eisenkot-led minority government to take office by abstaining from a confidence vote, amid growing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his failure to secure military draft exemptions for yeshiva students.

Eisenkot has consistently maintained that any party willing to accept his four governing principles is welcome to join his coalition, although it remains unclear how an agreement could be reached with the Haredi factions given that one of those principles calls for universal military or civilian national service, which they fiercely oppose.