Netanyahu said seeking Haredi loyalty after election, but party leaders noncommittal

‘First you pass the laws, then we’ll talk,’ United Torah Judaism reportedly tells PM, who also seeks greater control over Likud slate amid fears current list can’t win

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently met with Haredi leaders and asked them to promise that they will remain an inseparable part of his right-wing bloc following the elections, according to a Monday report, which said the ultra-Orthodox party leaders did not commit to the premier’s demand.

According to Channel 12, Shas party leader Aryeh Deri told Netanyahu that without the passage of two laws to defend draft dodgers, there was nothing to talk about — specifically the Basic Law declaring Torah study a foundational value of the state, and temporary legislation to halt the arrests of Haredi draft dodgers for 90 days.

Leaders of United Torah Judaism were even less committal, the report said. Moshe Gafni of the party’s Degel HaTorah faction told the premier that its support was not assured, and that its spiritual leader Rabbi Dov Lando had ruled that “as of now, there is no bloc.”

Meanwhile, UTJ’s second faction, Agudat Yisrael, conveyed that it expected Netanyahu to pass the bills before any discussion of a post-election commitment.

“First you pass the laws, then we’ll talk,” the faction reportedly told him.

The coalition has been rushing to pass the laws to protect draft dodgers from arrest and financial sanctions, upon the demand of the Haredi factions, before the Knesset dissolves on July 17. The legislation is extremely unpopular among the general public, but Netanyahu views it as crucial to his chances of holding onto power.

PM seeking control over Likud slate, believes current list can’t win

Netanyahu has also recently upped his efforts to pressure senior Likud officials to grant him significant control over shaping the party’s list of candidates ahead of the elections.

The prime minister has told party officials that Likud’s current list “will not bring authority” to form a government, Channel 13 reported Monday. It also quoted a senior party figure as saying that the premier believes “new blood needs to be brought in to refresh the ranks with new and excellent people.”

According to the report, Netanyahu on Monday visited the home of Housing Minister Haim Katz in an attempt to pressure him to agree to the premier’s request for control over the party list.

Netanyahu is asking the party to give him 10 reserved spots for candidates of his choice in its election slate, eight of whom will be in the top 25.

The party is expected to vote on the proposal next week, ahead of primaries on August 4.

The report said that another proposal to keep almost all of the party’s members in their current positions may be brought to a steering committee.

The premier has sought to secure unprecedented influence over Likud’s Knesset slate, and broaden the party’s appeal beyond its traditional activist base. But the push has run into resistance from influential figures within the party, exposing a rare internal power struggle over who will shape Likud’s future parliamentary lineup.

Netanyahu is reportedly concerned that primaries could elevate candidates who are highly popular among the Likud base but who internal party polling suggests are less appealing to moderate right-wing and swing voters whose support could prove decisive in the upcoming national election.

Israel is on course for national elections to be held on October 27 — the latest date permitted by law.

An opinion poll aired on Channel 12 Monday evening showed Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party pulling even with Netanyahu’s Likud, with Yashar and the ruling party receiving 23 seats in the next Knesset.

A similar result has been seen in recent polls published by Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s sister site, as well as the Kan public broadcaster.