Haredi Coalition Strategy: Dual Talks With Netanyahu & Eisenkot

A senior figure in Degel HaTorah, one of Israel's haredi Orthodox parties, has outlined an ambitious post-election strategy that involves simultaneous negotiations with two potential coalition partners.

Motke Levy, speaking Wednesday on "HaZira LIVE" radio program hosted by Israel Cohen on Kol Barama, detailed a plan that would see haredi parties engaging with both former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while making passing a haredi conscription law a precondition for any government formation.

According to Levy's proposal, the haredi parties would approach Eisenkot with an offer to serve as deputy prime minister. At the same time, they would leverage what Levy described as a bloc of 45 Knesset seats to present Netanyahu with a clear ultimatum: no government will be formed until a conscription law is passed through all three required readings in the Knesset.

"We will propose to Eisenkot to be deputy prime minister," Levy stated during the interview. He then elaborated on the planned approach to Netanyahu: "In parallel, we'll come to Netanyahu with a bloc of 45 mandates and tell him: you want a government? First a conscription law in three readings, and then we'll establish it."

Levy's comments indicate that the haredi parties intend to make the conscription issue (which addresses military service exemptions for yeshiva students) a front-and-center demand rather than deferring it until after coalition negotiations are complete. Under the strategy he outlined, the requirement would be to pass the legislation in its entirety (first, second, and third readings) before any government is sworn in.

The dual-track approach would see negotiations with Eisenkot proceeding alongside discussions with Netanyahu. Rather than presenting an immediate choice between the two potential partners, Levy described a strategy in which Eisenkot would receive a concrete offer for a senior government position while Netanyahu would face explicit conditions for forming a government under his leadership.