Opposition chief Eisenkot says coalition breakthrough is near as ultra-Orthodox draft veto begins to crack
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Gadi Eisenkot said talks are moving forward toward a coalition that could end Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule, after Avigdor Liberman signaled he may finally stop shielding the ultra-Orthodox exemption from military service.
Israel’s opposition bloc is inching toward a government that could replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a key partner eased its insistence that ultra-Orthodox Jews remain outside military service. Opposition chief Gadi Eisenkot, a former military commander, said on X that “significant progress” had been made and that he expects to receive a mandate from President Isaac Herzog, who is due to announce the first candidate to try to form a government on Sunday.
Avigdor Liberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a former aide to Netanyahu, announced on social media that he would no longer block talks with ultra-Orthodox parties, despite having previously attacked the community in harsh terms. He said the conscription law must be addressed as part of a broader compromise to avoid a stalemate.
Liberman added, “This also includes the issue of the conscription law. This pains me, and I know it pains many others as well. But given the full range of challenges we face today, the national interest of the State of Israel and the Jewish people must take precedence over all other considerations.”
Eisenkot’s coalition prospects depend on support from Israeli-Arab parties, whose seat count increased after the October 27 election. Yair Golan, the main left-wing opposition leader, said there is “serious work” underway and expressed optimism about the coalition’s formation.
The ultra-Orthodox exemption from military service has long been a source of public anger, as reservists have been forced into multiple tours since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Netanyahu, though personally secular, has traditionally relied on the ultra-Orthodox bloc, which represents about 14 percent of the population. United Torah Judaism declined to recommend Netanyahu for the next government, while its rabbis said they would evaluate any formal alliance proposal.
Liberman’s shift follows earlier campaign rhetoric that labeled ultra-Orthodox draft-dodgers as “anti-Jewish.” His party secured seven seats, the smallest share among the core opposition groups. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who also campaigned to end the exemption, has not commented on Liberman’s change of position.
Only Golan has explicitly endorsed cooperation with Israeli-Arab lawmakers, who constitute roughly 20 percent of the population. Netanyahu’s campaign warned that voting for the opposition could empower the Arab minority.
President Herzog is expected to name the first candidate to form a government on Sunday, with Eisenkot currently holding the most endorsements.