Chareidim demand draft freeze, AG backing for coalition deal

As political talks to form the next government intensify, the legal and political demands of the chareidi parties have come into focus.

Analyst Amit Segal reported Monday evening that from the chareidi factions' perspective, the only realistic arrangement on the table is not a full and immediate draft law, but rather a temporary order for a transition period of one to one and a half years.

During the proposed transition, the general conscription obligation would be frozen, arrests of draft evaders would be cancelled, and no economic sanctions would be imposed. But the central and unusual demand from the chareidi parties is for a legal "pre-ruling", advance approval and a commitment from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, as well as from the legal adviser to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Miri Frankel-Shor, that they will defend the framework in the High Court.

Chareidi sources made clear that rumours of passive abstention that would allow the formation of a minority government are not accurate. "You want our votes, come to direct negotiations," they said.

Parallel to the chareidi demands, analyst Michael Shemesh reported on Channel 13 News about a strategic understanding reached Monday between Yesh! chairman Gadi Eisenkot and Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman. According to the report, the two agreed to work together to first exhaust all channels of dialogue and contact with the chareidi factions in an attempt to reach coalition understandings with them.

Eisenkot even asked Liberman to personally assist in managing the talks with the chareidim. The significance of the understanding is a temporary postponement of alternative options: consideration of a minority government relying on the Arab parties is frozen at this stage, and will be advanced only if the contacts with the chareidim reach a dead end.

In talks held between the United Torah Judaism faction and elements in the change bloc, the possibility arose of appointing MK Yaakov Asher as temporary Knesset Speaker. The proposal came up before the understanding signed today between Liberman and Eisenkot, according to which the next Knesset Speaker will be chosen from the Yesh! party.

According to the proposal raised in the contacts, Asher's appointment as temporary speaker was intended to serve as a political "insurance policy" for the chareidi faction, which would guarantee through control of the plenum's agenda the immediate bringing to a vote of the draft law. Behind the move stands an unwillingness to rely on verbal political promises, following the events of the last Knesset.

Liberman and Asher in 2019 (Photo: Yehuda Glickman)

As a reminder, Eisenkot received the mandate to form the government yesterday from President Yitzchak Herzog, after winning the recommendation of 67 MKs, including the Arab parties. According to law, Eisenkot has 28 days to form the government, with the final date to present a government being 6 December 2026.