Netanyahu Aides Fear Ultra-Orthodox Defection Despite Shas Support
Netanyahu's circle fears ultra-Orthodox parties could still join Eisenkot's bloc despite Shas's recent backing. Likud sources warn that favorable draft law offers could seal a center-left majority.
Despite Shas ending its freeze in relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and announcing it would recommend him to the president, Netanyahu's inner circle believes the political battle is far from over. Officials close to the prime minister warn that an alliance between ultra-Orthodox factions, including Shas and United Torah Judaism, and the center-left bloc remains a plausible scenario.
However, assessments within Netanyahu's circle suggest that these religious parties can still be persuaded not to join a potential government led by Gadi Eisenkot. This perspective persists despite deep-seated mutual distrust between Netanyahu and United Torah Judaism, and acknowledgment that conventional political promises may fall short of shifting ultra-Orthodox stances.
In contrast, other officials within Likud express greater skepticism regarding these efforts. According to these party sources, if the center-left bloc offers the ultra-Orthodox factions favorable terms on the contentious military draft law and other key demands, stopping their defection to a new government coalition will be virtually impossible.
The underlying dynamic stems from parliamentary mathematics: the inclusion of Shas and United Torah Judaism could secure a crucial 61-seat majority for Eisenkot, providing the exact threshold needed to form a ruling coalition and tilting the balance of power in the Knesset.
Political analysts note that the alignment of the ultra-Orthodox parties will remain a central pivot in upcoming coalition negotiations. Both political camps are expected to intensify their lobbying efforts in the coming days as maneuvering for the next government accelerates.
