Full Breakdown
UTJ Mulls Support for Eisenkot Minority Government
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In this breakdown
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Core Development: Potential Shift in Ultra-Orthodox Alliance
United Torah Judaism (UTJ), the seven-seat ultra-Orthodox bloc that helped deliver Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition a parliamentary majority, is reportedly exploring a deal to back opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot without formally joining his cabinet. Under the proposal, UTJ would remain outside the coalition but would abstain on confidence votes, allowing Eisenkot’s minority government to survive. The move is driven by UTJ’s frustration that Netanyahu has not advanced legislation granting blanket military-service exemptions for yeshiva students, a core demand of the party.
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Background & Context
UTJ’s alliance with Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc has existed for years, providing the Haredi parties with leverage in exchange for parliamentary support. In July 2025 the party quit the governing coalition over delays on the exemption bill, and in May 2025 senior Degel HaTorah rabbi Dov Lando announced a loss of trust in Netanyahu and called for an early election. The October 27 election left neither camp with the 61 seats required for a majority, making UTJ’s seven seats decisive.
Visual evidence
Images from the story
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Timeline
- July 2025 – UTJ exits Netanyahu’s coalition over stalled exemption legislation.
- May 2025 – Rabbi Dov Lando declares loss of trust in Netanyahu and urges dissolution of the Knesset.
- October 27 – Election results: Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats, Eisenkot’s bloc 48 seats; UTJ holds seven seats.
- October 28 – Israel Hayom reports a UTJ official saying cooperation with Eisenkot “is not being ruled out.”
- November 4 (scheduled) – Central Elections Committee will publish official results after an integrity review.
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Data & Statistics
- Netanyahu’s bloc: 53 seats (including UTJ) or 46 seats without UTJ (sources differ).
- Eisenkot’s bloc: 48 seats.
- Arab parties: 19 seats combined.
- Additional parties: Shas, Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit.
- Vote count: 5,589,836 ballots cast; 5,564,764 valid, 25,072 invalid.
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Official Statements & Responses
A UTJ source said the party would consider joining an Eisenkot government only after a draft-exemption law is passed. Eisenkot’s Yashar! party declined comment, and his Yesh Atid party also did not respond.
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Criticism & Opposition
Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman opposes any coalition that includes ultra-Orthodox parties, arguing it would compromise his party’s stance on national-service equality. This could complicate Eisenkot’s ability to secure the votes needed for the exemption legislation.
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Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the size of Netanyahu’s bloc without UTJ: 46 seats versus 53 seats including UTJ. Both agree Eisenkot’s bloc stands at 48 seats. The precise mechanism by which Eisenkot could obtain a majority for the exemption bill remains unclear, as does whether UTJ’s proposal has been formally presented.
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Verbatim Quotes
- “We are not currently talking in terms of blocs. We are talking about only one bloc, our own, the Torah bloc,” — Yaakov Asher
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What’s Next
The Central Elections Committee will release the final, certified election results on November 4 after its integrity review. Until then, negotiations over UTJ’s potential support and the draft-exemption law are expected to continue at the working level, with no confirmation that Eisenkot has received a formal proposal.