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February 2013/Adar 5773
Israeli Elections
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In fact, the two hareidi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, may work together to prevent Mr. Lapid from joining the government. Historically, the hareidi parties have considered themselves the “natural coalition partners” of the Likud. “Yesh Atid may have received 19 seats, but UTJ and Shas together won 18,” said UTJ MK Moshe Gafni. Hareidim and Bennett By the end of January, the two hareidi parties were talking about asking Mr. Bennett to join them. “There is no doubt that UTJ and Jewish Home, just like UTJ and Shas, have things in common, like the sanctity of Shabbat and halachic conversion,” said UTJ’s MK Rabbi Meir Porush. “I am certain there are many Jewish Home voters who see Torah study as important. If we pray Mincha and Arvit together in the synagogue in the Knesset, then there is reason for cooperating on the issues that are important to all of us.” A coalition without Mr. Lapid might give Mr. Netanyahu a 61- to 63-seat government by including Jewish Home, the two hareidi parties, and possibly Kadima.
Mr. Netanyahu may convince Ms. Livni to bring her six seats from Hatnua into the government, giving him a more stable 69. Ms. Livni’s chief concern is the “peace process,” to which Mr. Netanyahu is at least verbally committed. Mr. Bennett thinks the peace process is futile, but it would not keep him from joining the government. Increasing Numbers But Mr. Netanyahu was not yet ready to give up on Mr. Lapid and hoped a plan devised by Mr. Yaalon could smooth the way for the hareidi parties and Yesh Atid to come into the coalition. The plan allows hareidi yeshiva students to defer their service until age 26, rather than 28. In addition, the plan raises the target goal for increased hareidi draft numbers. Mr. Yaalon pointed out that in 1999, there were 90 hareidim in the IDF; by 2007, there were 300. Today, 6,000 hareidim serve in the IDF and National Service, as do 2,400 Arabs. “If we open more service tracks, we would be able to open up more positions for more people to serve,” said Mr. Yaalon. “This is why I believe it is proper to set growing goals from year to year, rather than saying how many Torah stu-
dents will remain exempt. There is an obligation to do things gradually. After 64 years, you cannot solve the problem with the thrust of a sword. The military and the work market [have] to prepare [themselves] for a growing civilian service.” In order to ensure that all deferred students are actually learning in yeshivas, Mr. Yaalon’s plan calls for the schools to install biometric devices which would identify students when they enter or leave the building. Hareidi leaders do not especially like the plan, but said they “could live with it.” Flexibility Yesh Atid, on the other hand, cannot. According to Mr. Lapid, his party has its own plan which its members expect to be “considered and accepted by the Prime Minister during coalition negotiations.” “We do not intend to negotiate with the hareidi parties. Our negotiations are with the Prime Minister,” said Mr. Lapid, adding that Yesh Atid will not compromise on its position. One of the biggest problems with Mr. Lapid’s demand that all yeshiva students be immediately drafted into the IDF is that
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