Asher, Liberman hold first meeting on draft law compromise

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher and Yisrael Beiteinu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman met Wednesday afternoon for their first significant meeting since the elections, focusing on the draft law and the possibility of finding a mutually acceptable framework.

The meeting centered on an attempt to formulate a draft arrangement that could win approval from both Rav Dov Lando shlita, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, and pass scrutiny by the High Court (Bagatz). The session marks the first substantive discussion between the two since the elections, signaling possible progress in negotiations between the chareidi parties and the change bloc.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of extensive political contacts between the chareidi parties and the change bloc. In an interview with Kikar HaShabbat yesterday, Asher laid out three core conditions for any possible negotiations: a draft law that regulates the status of yeshiva students, chareidi education budgets without conditions requiring core curriculum studies, and preservation of the religious status quo.

Liberman, for his part, has stated on various occasions that he demands a draft law that will satisfy both Rav Dov Lando and the High Court justices. A detailed comparison between "Liberman's law" from 2018 and the "Bismuth bill" advanced in the outgoing Knesset reveals that Liberman's proposal is considered significantly softer and more accommodating for the chareidi public, with an earlier exemption age (24 instead of 26), substantially lower draft targets, and a complete absence of personal sanctions on yeshiva students.

Asher and Deri (Photo: Chaim Goldberg, Yonatan Zindel, Flash90)

The Asher-Liberman meeting takes place as additional developments unfold in the political system. The Knesset's Arrangements Committee decided today on the composition of temporary committees, with Liberman set to chair the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Meanwhile, Shas issued a firm statement clarifying that it "continues to support Netanyahu and is not conducting negotiations with any other party." The statement came in response to various remarks heard recently in the political arena, and emphasized that on the instruction of the Council of Torah Sages (Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah), the party recommended to the President that Binyamin Netanyahu form the government.

Notably, MK Meir Porush submitted two central bills upon the convening of the 26th Knesset aimed at regulating the legal status of yeshiva students. The first proposal seeks to permanently anchor the status of yeshiva students whose Torah is their occupation, with a deferment order until age 26. The second bill establishes a one-year freeze on arrests.