Eisenkot's bloc divided as Golan eyes minority gov't with Arab support, Bennett stays silent
Suspicion grows within the Eisenkot-led bloc over Golan and Bennett's intentions, while haredi parties doubt a deal but express unexpected trust in Liberman.
Within the Eisenkot-led bloc, tensions are growing as they debate the formation of a government. Sources question whether Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett are truly committed to creating a coalition with the haredi parties. Golan is reportedly favoring a minority government backed by the Joint List and Ra'am, showing little interest in a coalition with the ultra-Orthodox parties.
According to these sources, Golan is not merely keeping both options open, but appears to be leaning toward the minority government approach. In response, the Democrats have introduced new legislation on religion and state, which they see as a genuine reflection of their ideological stance, not simply a political ploy to appeal to voters.
Suspicion also surrounds Bennett, whose faction held a private meeting without allowing journalists to ask questions. Sources within the bloc believe Bennett may not be genuinely committed to forming a government and might view another election as an opportunity to strengthen his position, particularly through his stance on equal participation in military service and anti-draft-evasion messages from his campaign.
Complicating matters, haredi parties are expressing cautious optimism towards the negotiations. While they believe the bloc is genuinely engaging in discussions, they acknowledge slim prospects for reaching agreements due to multiple areas of disagreement. Despite this, they maintain trust in Gadi Eisenkot and his team, viewing them as the primary negotiators.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
