Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman is signaling he is not going to begin discussing the new draft law with the representatives of chareidi parties until Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu clarifies the law, KAN News reports.

Lieberman is uncertain if Mr. Netanyahu is interested in early elections or prefers to maintain the current coalition, a decision which will have a direct impact on dealings with the chareidi parties and the new law. It is explained that Lieberman does not wish to reach a compromise with the chareidim, only to learn the prime minister nonetheless prefers early elections. Therefore, he is playing a waiting game for the time being.

Officials in Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party on Thursday,4 Tishrei, responded to the report, explaining they are not addressing the bill vis-à-vis the chareidim at present, without any connection to early elections or not.

The chareidi parties are demanding changes to the law, which include the maximum fines that may be levied against yeshivos, to lower the percentage of compliance with draft goals from the current 85% stipulated in the law and thirdly, relating to the number of years that pass before the law is annulled due to non-compliance. Lieberman and members of his party have stated they will not tolerate any change to the current version of the draft bill, regardless as to how slight that change may be, for the current version was achieved in talks with senior IDF officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)