Avigdor Liberman

Israel's coalition game: Netanyahu, Eisenkot play political bluff - who will blink first?

NATIONAL AFFAIRS: Netanyahu talks unity, Liberman talks haredi compromise, and Eisenkot needs partners, but no coalition is real until someone says what they will give up.

Israel's political leaders gather for the traditional group photograph at the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset on Tuesday. The success of coalition negotiations will ultimately depend on what each leader is prepared to concede to form a government, the writer argues.
Yashar head Gadi Eisenkot and UTJ head Yakov Asher shake hands as party leaders pose for a group picture in the Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 10, 2026

'They will use you and throw you away': Netanyahu warns haredi parties away from Eisenkot-led bloc

Avigdor Liberman (L), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Liberman set to become only Eisenkot-bloc leader with direct security ties to Netanyahu

British Jews and Zionists hold a pro-Israel protest in London, including flying British, Israeli, and combination flags, October 2026; illustrative.

Over 2,000 Jews urge Israel's opposition to unite and form 'coalition of change' with Arab parties


Eisenkot's bloc divided as Golan eyes minority gov't with Arab support, Bennett stays silent

Suspicion grows within the Eisenkot-led bloc over Golan and Bennett's intentions, while haredi parties doubt a deal but express unexpected trust in Liberman.

Democrats leader MK Yair Golan speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 10, 2026

Knesset forms Eisenkot bloc-led transitional committees as gov't remains without coalition

MK Gotliv calls Arab MKs 'terror supporters' • Liberman set to become only Eisenkot-bloc leader with direct security ties to Netanyahu • Otzma Yehudit submits bill to repeal Oslo Accords

MK Roy Folkman (Yashar) chairs a meeting for the Knesset Arrangements Committee on November 11, 2026.

Eisenkot says opposition bloc will ‘not surrender’ on conscription amid haredi coalition talks

"We are committed to service for all citizens. We will not surrender on the issue of service. We will not surrender our flags or principles,” Eisenkot said.

Yashar head Gadi Eisenkot speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 10, 2026

Eisenkot-led bloc taps Yashar's Kahana for Knesset speaker, Liberman to head key defense panel

Liberman to chair Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, which oversees legislation related to IDF conscription • Yashar submitted 61 signatures demanding Amir Ohana's replacement as speaker

Incoming Yashar MK and former minister Matan Kahana arrives at the Knesset ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, November 10, 2026.

Likud officials ‘hope for a miracle’ as haredi parties weigh joining Eisenkot government - analysis

As Netanyahu works to block an Eisenkot government, Likud officials concede privately that if UTJ gets an acceptable draft arrangement, “all that remains is to put our trust in God.”

UTJ delegation meets in the President's Residence, Jerusalem, ahead of consultations with President Herzog, November 5, 2026.

Hendel warns Israel could ‘fall apart’ as anti-Netanyahu bloc weighs draft compromise

Yoaz Hendel, whose party failed to cross the electoral threshold, accused the anti-Netanyahu bloc on Sunday of abandoning reservists by weighing a compromise with haredi parties on the draft.

Yoaz Hendel, head of the Reservists' Party and a former minister, holds a press conference outside Kibbutz Retamim in the central Negev Desert, southern Israel, in February, 2026.

What is Liberman's 2018 haredi draft plan, and could it break the coalition deadlock? - explainer

Liberman's 2018 haredi draft plan is back in focus. How does it compare to Bismuth's bill on recruitment quotas, sanctions, and IDF manpower needs?

Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, on Israel’s general election night, October 27, 2026.

Liberman defends haredi compromise amid coalition talks, vows not to abandon IDF draft principles

"Being willing to compromise does not mean giving up values and principles," Liberman said, responding to criticism of his previous statements that he would be flexible about a haredi draft law.

Yisrael Beytenu leader and MK Avigdor Liberman holds a press conference in Tel Aviv, May 6, 2026

Eisenkot has the mandate, but Liberman and the haredim hold the keys to power - analysis

The disagreements among potential coalition partners are so deep that Herzog himself sought clarification over the weekend on how Eisenkot intends to overcome them.

MK Avigdor Liberman and MK Gadi Eisenkot at a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, September 9, 2024

Don’t abandon reservists: Compromises must not allow for haredi draft issue to continue - editorial

Flexibility cannot become a respectable word for abandoning the people whose service makes coalition negotiations possible.

 Reservist exercise in the North. January 17, 2024