Liberman lifts veto, open to compromise on haredi draft law

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman announced today (Friday) that he is prepared to compromise even on the draft law, as part of an effort to form a government after the elections. According to him, the national interest requires flexibility on issues that are not included in the three red lines he set: ending the Netanyahu era, avoiding another election, and opposing a government that relies on abstention by the Joint List and Ra'am.

In a statement titled "We must prevent a third destruction," Liberman published his new position. "On all other issues it is permitted and desirable to be flexible and to compromise and to understand that if you grasp too much, you grasp nothing," he wrote. "This includes the draft law as well. It hurts me, and I know it hurts many others. But in light of the array of challenges we are facing today, the national interest of the State of Israel and the Jewish people must stand above every other consideration."

The move comes after Liberman warned against forming a minority government. "The change government lasted a little over a year. And what did we get after it? Netanyahu with 64 mandates for four years," he wrote. "A minority government will last much less time, and at its end we will get Netanyahu back with 70 mandates for another four years, and from there the road to a third destruction will be short."

Liberman clarified that his position against a minority government remains clear. "I said this during the election campaign, close to election day and repeated it afterwards as well: I strongly oppose the establishment of a government that will rely on abstention by the Joint List and Ra'am, and Yisrael Beiteinu will vote against such a government," he emphasized.

In his statement, he addressed the rotation story that circulated in recent days. "I have not spoken with anyone on the subject, not even with myself," he clarified. "Beyond that, I believe that the rotation mechanism, from the days of Shamir and Peres until today, is a harmful mechanism that damages the proper management of the state and must pass from the world. Whoever succeeds in forming a government should receive full authority for the entire term."

According to a report by political correspondent Amit Segal on Channel 12 News, the change bloc is advancing a government with United Torah Judaism based on a lenient draft law. The report noted that such negotiations would be conducted on the basis of the 2018 exemption law, a law that Liberman himself proposed in the past as defense minister in a coalition with the haredim.

Liberman presented his warnings before and after the elections. "On December 21, 2016, I warned of an invasion by Nukhba forces into Israeli territory and the capture of communities in the Gaza envelope. At that time everyone dismissed the warning and rejected it out of hand. Unfortunately, my assessment was fully realized," he wrote.

He also referred to his warning before the last elections. "About 12 days before the last elections, I warned that the 'largest party' campaign and the talk of forming a minority government are severely damaging the change bloc. I identified that the bloc was starting to bleed mandates, I tried to explain the danger and stop the bleeding, both in personal conversations and in a public call, but in vain. In the last ten days of the election campaign, the change bloc lost between 7 and 8 mandates."

In conclusion, he called: "We must make maximum effort to form a coalition of 61 Knesset members, without the Joint List and Ra'am. After its formation, with high probability it will be possible to add another three or four Knesset members from Likud. This is the only strategy that reflects the good of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. This is the way out of the mess and to form a stable government for the next 4 years that will put Israel on the king's highway."

Liberman's move comes against the background of reports of contacts between the change bloc and United Torah Judaism, after the haredi party decided not to recommend Netanyahu to the president. United Torah Judaism chairman Yaakov Asher asked Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Dov Lando for permission to recommend Netanyahu, but received a negative answer.