Report: Eisenkot, Liberman agree to open talks with Haredi parties, eyeing draft-law concessions

Leaders of the opposition bloc have agreed to open talks with ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, with a softened military draft law reportedly on offer in exchange for their support for a government led by Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

According to the report, Eisenkot and Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman decided to open discussions with the Haredi parties during a meeting earlier today.

Senior rabbis in UTJ are interested in negotiating with Eisenkot about joining his coalition, Kan reports. But the party has reportedly yet to be approached officially, and no talks have taken place between its leaders and the opposition bloc.

Channel 12 reports that discussions are still at an early stage, despite reports suggesting a deal is near. Ultra-Orthodox parties are expected to seek a one-year, possibly 18-month, transitional arrangement to work out a broader draft framework.

During that period, there would be no meaningful enlistment, sanctions, or arrests of draft dodgers, the report says.

The parties are also reportedly seeking assurances from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s legal adviser that such an arrangement would pass legal scrutiny, as legislation may be needed, rather than a government decision alone.

UTJ would not simply abstain to let an Eisenkot-led government take office, Channel 12 reports, saying it would negotiate the terms first.

In last week’s consultations with President Isaac Herzog, UTJ abstained from recommending a candidate for prime minister, despite its alignment with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud. Netanyahu has reportedly since tried to meet personally with Rabbis Dov Lando and Moshe Hillel Hirsch, leaders of the party’s so-called “Lithuanian,” non-Hasidic faction, but they rebuffed his attempts.