MK Ayelet Shaked
MK Ayelet ShakedFlash 90

A coalition deal between Likud and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) is reportedly imminent, and Jewish Home appears to be trying to get in on the action and secure a spot in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's next government. 

One of the main aspects of the agreement between UTJ and Likud is a clause guaranteeing the cancellation of criminal sanctions in the Enlistment Law. 

Led by Yesh Atid and Jewish Home in the last government, the law sought to force haredim to enlist in the IDF and place them in jail if they refused. The sanctions faced harsh backlash in the haredi community, expressed in mass protests. 

But on Monday, Chairwoman of the Jewish Home faction Ayelet Shaked suggested that Jewish Home would not be opposed to the cancellation of the criminal sanctions, if some other measure could be taken instead. 

"Likud informed us that in their closing agreement with the haredim, they asked to invalidate criminal sanctions," Shaked said during an interview with Galey Israel.

"I was opposed to enforced conscription and I thought it right to impose meaningful economic sanctions, something which will lead to wider enlistment," she posited. 

"There are currently no good alternatives [to sanctions], but it will be decided between coalition members and the coalition will try to offer some sort of working alternative. I don't think it'll be problematic."

"From the beginning, I preferred to advance economic sanction, simply because I thought they'd be more effective. By the way, the law is currently under discussion in the High Court so changing it could be problematic, but I'll leave that for the Prime Minister to decide," Shaked concluded. 

Jewish Home and Likud have suffered mistrust throughout coalition talks, with Likud sources alleging Jewish Home's demands are excessive, and Jewish Home chair Naftali Bennett insisting Likud will abandon his party for a unity government with Labor.