Lieberman Signals Flexibility on Ultra-Orthodox Draft to Unseat Netanyahu
Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman signaled Friday he may soften his stance on exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, aiming to form a coalition to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Neither Netanyahu nor rival Gadi Eisenkot secured a majority in the October 27 election. Lieberman said he still refuses to ally with Arab Israeli parties, but urged opposition talks with ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties despite years of criticism over their draft exemptions. He stressed the top goals are removing Netanyahu and avoiding new elections, saying "trying to get everything risks losing everything." The ultra-Orthodox parties hold 13 seats, which could give Eisenkot a slim majority if they cooperate. President Isaac Herzog is expected to announce Sunday who gets the first chance to form a government, likely Eisenkot.