Eisenkot and Asher Reportedly Met Secretly During Coalition Talks

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Yashar!, and United Torah Judaism leader Yaakov Asher reportedly met in secret last week amid contacts over forming a government. The meeting was disclosed on November 15 and was described as their first since Eisenkot received the mandate to form a government. The reported contacts have been conducted discreetly. According to people familiar with the discussions, the conversation examined broad areas in which the parties might reach agreement. The reporting also attributed the low profile to concerns about the political cost to Eisenkot if the contacts failed and pressure on Asher from Benjamin Netanyahu. Asher’s office said: “Conversations and meetings with figures in the political system are a natural part of this period.” It said it would not confirm or deny repeated questions about individual meetings. Yashar said Eisenkot was working around the clock to form a national emergency government. The party said it did not conduct those efforts through the media and would not provide routine responses about reported meetings and calls, some of which it described as untrue. People familiar with the contacts also said United Torah Judaism would establish a negotiating team representing all its components to hold discussions with blocs and parties. They described the conversations taking place before that team is formed as exploratory.