Bennett Reportedly Urges Pressure on Haredi Parties in Coalition Talks

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett reportedly urged allies in private conversations to apply pressure on Haredi parties in coalition negotiations, rather than offer far-reaching concessions to bring them into a government. The November 15 report describes the Together leader as seeking to preserve the bloc’s military-service and service-member benefits platform during the bargaining. Under the reported approach, Haredi parties would face greater costs from staying outside the coalition. Bennett reportedly has yet to choose between a government relying on Arab-party support and one including Haredi parties, which would involve compromise over conscription. The report contrasts his public reticence with Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman’s expressed willingness to sit with Haredi parties. Bennett’s circle responded that he and Together remain committed to their program for people who serve, describing it as an urgent need for Israel and the Israel Defense Forces. On November 10, Bennett publicly tied the urgency of forming a government to the burden on reservists serving along Israel’s borders. “I am doing everything to help Eisenkot establish a Zionist government of repair as quickly as possible,” he said in his own channel, referring to Gadi Eisenkot. He also linked that effort to implementing his service-members program.