Eisenkot reaffirms draft demand after Liberman opens door to UTJ coalition
Yashar leader says all coalition partners must accept mandatory military or civilian service, hours after Liberman signals willingness to compromise on conscription
Gadi Eisenkot reaffirmed his demand for mandatory military or civilian service for all Israelis on Friday, hours after Avigdor Liberman softened his position on conscription, opening the door to a government with ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism.
In a statement ahead of Shabbat, the Yashar leader listed mandatory service among four principles that any party or lawmaker would have to accept to join a national emergency government under his leadership.
“Mandatory service for all — military, national and civilian — to strengthen the IDF and expand its ranks,” Eisenkot wrote.
He said he intended to approach every parliamentary faction and invite its members to join, provided they signed on to those principles. “Under my leadership. Now, or later,” he added.
The statement followed Liberman’s announcement that he was prepared to compromise on the conscription law to help replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and avoid another election. The Yisrael Beiteinu leader maintained his opposition to a government dependent on Arab parties, but said other issues were negotiable.
“On all other issues, flexibility and compromise are permissible and desirable,” Liberman wrote. “That includes the conscription law.”
UTJ leader Yaakov Asher welcomed Liberman’s flexibility but said his party had not received a concrete proposal for a partnership. Any offer would be considered by its spiritual leaders, he said.
Eisenkot’s other conditions were recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, acceptance of the values of its Declaration of Independence, and recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization alongside a commitment to dismantling its military capabilities and rule.
He said his plan was to form a government as quickly as possible around the four Zionist parties in his bloc, allowing other parties and individual lawmakers to join immediately or later.
Eisenkot reported significant progress and breakthroughs in negotiations, including meetings that had not been made public and others held in recent hours. He said he hoped to receive the presidential mandate to form a government early next week.
Describing Israel as facing a dangerous emergency, Eisenkot accused the outgoing government of threatening democracy while active war fronts remained subject to political and personal considerations. He said replacing Netanyahu and preventing another election were urgent national priorities.
He also warned against attempts to derail coalition negotiations for personal reasons.
“Anyone who tries to stall and thwart the formation of the government for personal rather than substantive reasons will go down in history as someone who failed to rise to the occasion and failed to act to save Israel in an emergency,” he wrote. “They will not be forgiven.”