Figures in United Torah Judaism are exploring support for a minority government led by Gadi Eisenkot, Israeli media report. Military-service exemptions remain the central obstacle, and no agreement has been announced.
Figures within the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party are proposing an arrangement that could allow Gadi Eisenkot to form a minority government, potentially weakening Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance with one of his longstanding political partners.
Under the proposal reported by Channel 12 on Thursday, UTJ would initially remain outside the coalition and abstain in parliamentary votes rather than oppose the government and its legislation. The report describes preliminary contacts, with no confirmed agreement or public acceptance by Eisenkot. N12
Military service is the central obstacle
Any understanding would have to bridge a fundamental disagreement over military service for ultra-Orthodox men.
Eisenkot has made broader military-service obligations a central condition for a government under his leadership. UTJ, by contrast, seeks legislation protecting exemptions for yeshiva students. The Times of Israel’s account of the proposal identifies that conflict as a central difficulty facing potential cooperation. The Times of Israel
Ynet separately reported that a senior UTJ figure confirmed the party was preparing to offer Eisenkot support, with legislation providing military-service exemptions as its first condition. That would confront Eisenkot with a demand at odds with his campaign commitments. ynet.co.il
Seven seats could change the negotiations
The provisional distribution cited in the reports gives Eisenkot’s main opposition bloc 48 seats and UTJ seven. Even if all seven actively backed him, their combined 55 seats would remain below an outright majority in the 120-member Knesset. UTJ’s support alone would therefore not resolve the coalition deadlock. ynet.co.il
The proposal instead centres on a minority-government arrangement. UTJ’s abstention could reduce the votes opposing Eisenkot, while support from other parties would remain a separate political question. The Times of Israel reported that the suggested framework also envisages possible reliance on Ra’am. No such arrangement has been agreed. The Times of Israel
A possible opening, with no deal yet
For Netanyahu, the significance lies in the possibility that UTJ could stop treating membership of his bloc as an automatic commitment to supporting his next government. For Eisenkot, it presents a potential negotiating opening accompanied by a difficult policy choice.
The immediate test is whether exploratory contacts develop into an offer that both sides can accept. Until then, the reports establish that figures within UTJ are considering an alternative — not that the party has formally switched sides or that Eisenkot has secured a government.
