Liberman Urges Opposition to Work With Ultra-Orthodox Jews to Oust Netanyahu

Jerusalem: Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Liberman, hardline figure in the Israeli opposition said Friday he would moderate longtime demands that ultra-Orthodox Jews serve in the military, seeking a coalition that can oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Neither Netanyahu nor opposition chief Gadi Eisenkot reached a majority in the October 27 election, with Israeli society highly polarised over Netanyahu and worn down by three years of war.

Eisenkot could form a coalition if he works with Israeli-Arabs, whose seat count soared on anger over Netanyahu's far-right government, but that prospect faces strong disagreement from opposition partner Avigdor Liberman, a onetime aide to Netanyahu who now sharply criticises the prime minister but shares his hawkish views on the Palestinians.

Liberman said Friday he would not back down on rejecting an alliance with Israeli-Arabs but said the opposition should negotiate with ultra-Orthodox Jews, despite his years of heated denunciations of the community for avoiding military service.

Saying the most important goals were removing Netanyahu and avoiding new elections, Liberman said it was time to compromise and "understand that trying to have everything risks getting nothing".

"This also includes the issue of the conscription law," he said in a social media statement.

"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."

Liberman, whose Yisrael Beiteinu party won seven seats, has long demanded an end to an exemption that allows religious students to avoid the military service required of nearly all other Israelis.

Liberman even put up campaign posters vowing to crack down on the "draft-dodgers". During an appearance earlier this year, he described ultra-Orthodox Jews as "anti-Jewish" for their demands.

Netanyahu, while himself personally secular, has long relied on the two main ultra-Orthodox parties, although they left his government -- without seeking to remove him -- after he stopped short of enshrining the draft exemption into law.

One of the parties, United Torah Judaism, declined Thursday to back Netanyahu in forming the next government during consultations with President Isaac Herzog, although it also did not back Eisenkot.

The two ultra-Orthodox parties together have 13 votes, which would give Eisenkot a narrow majority in parliament.

Herzog will announce Sunday who will have the first chance at forming a government -- presumably Eisenkot as he received more recommendations from parties.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews' exemption from military service has fueled widespread resentment among other Israelis, with reservists serving multiple tours in the wars Israel has been fighting since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.