Netanyahu meets UTJ's Asher to block haredi shift to Eisenkot

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a long late-night meeting in his office with MK Yaakov Asher of United Torah Judaism, in an attempt to prevent the haredi parties from joining the planned government under Gadi Eisenkot. Channel 12's Amit Segal reported the development Tuesday evening on the main news broadcast.

Following the heavy pressure and the night session, Likud sources estimate they have succeeded in blocking the move. The party claims, according to the report, that it convinced the senior Degel HaTorah figure not to give up the main political asset in their hands, their support for forming a government, without receiving immediate compensation in return.

At the same time, both main routes available to Eisenkot for building a coalition are now hitting significant obstacles. The legal and technical constraints with the haredi parties pose a central difficulty: the demand to advance a draft law even before the government is formed appears nearly impossible, both because of the tight timeline and because of legal opinions that do not permit it. As a result, negotiations are becoming far longer and more complex.

The Arab alternative is also stuck. The path of forming a rapid government by relying on outside support from the Arab parties has hit a wall. Sources in the change bloc are leveling sharp criticism at Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman, claiming that his statements and policies are "killing day by day" the feasibility of an agreement with the Arab parties.

Shas released an official statement today making clear it will continue to stand with the right-wing bloc and Netanyahu. "On the instruction of the Council of Torah Sages, Shas recommended to the President that Benjamin Netanyahu form the government, after he committed to pass the law regulating the status of yeshiva students," the statement read. "In light of this, Shas continues to support Netanyahu and is not conducting negotiations with any other party."

The statement comes shortly after MK Yaakov Asher set out three threshold conditions in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat for joining any government: regulating the status of yeshiva students, independence for haredi education, and preserving the status quo on religion and state. Asher made clear that "without these conditions, we will not be partners. Period."

Despite the difficulties, sources in the change bloc say negotiations between the haredi parties and the Eisenkot-led change bloc are at "very advanced" stages. It is further claimed that the haredim are prepared to pass a draft law only after the new government is sworn in.

In practice, both main channels available to Eisenkot, cooperation with the haredi parties or reliance on the Arab parties, now appear stuck and complicated, while Likud is taking credit for blocking the move.