Senior UTJ official confirms: Liberman is conducting negotiations with rabbinical courts

A senior official in United Torah Judaism confirms that Avigdor Liberman is conducting secret and direct negotiations with rabbinical courts to bring the party into the government, contrary to his public statements. According to the official, Liberman presents himself as holding a full mandate on behalf of Eisenkot, Bennett, and Yair Golan. The decision depends on a proposal that will regulate the conscription law.

A senior official in United Torah Judaism confirms that Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman is conducting intensive negotiations directly with elements in the rabbinical courts to advance the inclusion of UTJ in the government. This is contrary to Liberman's public statements that he is not negotiating with the ultra-Orthodox. According to the official, Liberman presents himself in the talks as speaking for the entire bloc, including Eisenkot, Bennett, and Yair Golan, and that whatever is agreed with him will be acceptable to all left-wing parties. However, the talks have not yet reached a conclusion, and the party does not yet know what the proposal for joining the government will include. UTJ clarifies that the decision depends on a proposal that will regulate the conscription law, and estimates that in such a case Shas will also join. The senior official addressed the possibility that Shas would join the government and estimated that if there is an agreement, Shas will eventually join as well, since it cannot stand aside if a good conscription law is on the table that would solve the problem of yeshiva students' detention.