Leaders of the Arab-led Ra'am and Joint List parties are currently in ongoing contact with senior officials from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, or UTJ. According to a report by KAN News released on Thursday, these discussions aim to keep both sides updated on negotiations with the political bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, which is seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The reported contact began during a conversation between Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas and UTJ leaders regarding legislation that would regulate military conscription. Abbas reportedly recommended that the three parties open negotiations. His argument was that joint talks could provide legitimacy for a more lenient arrangement on the conscription issue across the political spectrum. Additionally, such cooperation would position UTJ as a potential kingmaker in the formation of a new government.
UTJ chairman Yakov Asher has also spoken with Abbas and Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi on several occasions. However, Asher's office clarified that these conversations were informal in nature and were not directly related to formal political negotiations at the time they took place.
There is a historical precedent for cooperation between Arab and Haredi parties within the Knesset. In early 2020, Moshe Gafni, who was then the chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee and an MK for Degel HaTorah, attempted to advance an initiative by Tibi. That initiative sought to freeze the Kaminitz Law, demonstrating that cross-partisan efforts on specific issues are not unprecedented in Israeli politics.
Separately, Shaul Meridor, an MK for the Yashar party, addressed the potential inclusion of Haredi factions in the new administration. In an interview with 103FM on Wednesday, Meridor stated that Haredi parties and other political groups would be welcome to join a new national emergency government. This welcome is conditional, however, on their agreement to four fundamental principles outlined by the coalition leaders.
Eisenkot has specified these conditions for any prospective coalition partner. The first requirement is the recognition of Israel as a Jewish, democratic, liberal, and egalitarian state. The second is a commitment to the values laid out in the Declaration of Independence.
The third condition mandates that all Israeli citizens must undergo military, national, or civilian service. The fourth and final principle requires the recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization. It also includes an acknowledgment of the obligation to destroy Hamas's military and governing power in the Gaza Strip.
Eisenkot has previously explained that these principles are intended to serve as the foundation for a broad government. He envisions a coalition based on national consensus rather than one that seeks to impose the will of a single political camp on the rest of the country.
