Netanyahu ally offers Eisenkot path to PM, demands Haredi draft exemption

Key Points:

• United Torah Judaism, a longtime ultra-Orthodox ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is considering supporting opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot as prime minister in exchange for legislation exempting ultra-Orthodox men from military service.
• The proposal reflects a potential break between United Torah Judaism and Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc, as neither side has secured the 61 seats needed to form a government following Israel’s elections.
• Eisenkot’s bloc, even with United Torah Judaism’s projected seven seats, would control only 55 seats, short of a majority, and faces internal conflicts due to Eisenkot’s support for mandatory military service, which clashes with ultra-Orthodox demands.
• Netanyahu’s bloc currently holds 53 seats, Eisenkot’s bloc 48, and Arab parties 19, leaving no clear majority; the Central Elections Committee has counted 99% of votes but results remain provisional pending final verification.
• The election count included a special double-envelope voting procedure, with official results expected on November 4 after an election integrity review.