Eisenkot Defends Universal Service as Coalition Talks Stall Over Haredi Demands

Gadi Eisenkot vowed on Tuesday that he will not abandon his party’s commitment to mandatory service for all Israeli citizens as he prepares to form a new government. The leader of the Yashar party made the pledge during a faction meeting held ahead of the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset. He described the current moment as a watershed moment for Israel’s security, strategy, and economy.

Eisenkot stated his goal is to create a national emergency government without compromising on the principle of universal service. He specified that this includes military, national, and civilian service. His bloc won 48 seats in last month’s election and ran on a platform that directly conflicts with the stance of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, or UTJ.

UTJ leader Ya’akov Asher told the Kikar Hashabbat news site that his party will not join any coalition unless three specific demands are met. First, he said exemptions from military conscription for yeshiva students must be worked out. Second, the party requires that funding for Haredi schools remain untouched, with no conditions tied to core curriculum requirements. Third, Asher demanded the preservation of the status quo between religion and state, which includes policies such as prohibiting commerce on Shabbat.

Asher declared these three demands non-negotiable. He warned that without an agreement on conscription, there would be no deal. UTJ lawmaker Yitzhak Goldknopf confirmed to Channel 12 that preliminary contacts with Eisenkot’s camp are already underway. Goldknopf said Eisenkot knows what the party wants and that there is room for negotiations.

In contrast, the Shas party, a longtime ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said it is not entertaining the idea of defecting. Shas stated it continues to support Netanyahu and is not in talks with any other player. The party noted its rabbinic steering council instructed lawmakers to recommend Netanyahu after he committed to passing a law regulating yeshiva student exemptions.

Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman insisted he stands behind Eisenkot but rejected any reliance on the two Arab parties. Liberman outlined a vision for a 61-seat coalition consisting of Eisenkot’s 48 seats plus the 13 seats held by UTJ and Shas. He said this configuration would allow the government to pass a conscription law that survives a High Court test without requiring a new election.

Liberman listed replacing the Knesset speaker and appointing the state comptroller as immediate priorities. He also called for a law limiting the prime minister’s tenure to two terms. The first government decision would be to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 massacre. Meanwhile, Bennett’s B’Yachad party, which won 12 seats, said it is working to help Eisenkot build a Zionist coalition to replace the current government.