Members of United Torah Judaism
Members of United Torah JudaismHezki Baruch

The haredi United Torah Judaism party announced on Tuesday night that it intends to recommend Binyamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister if new elections are held.

The party further clarified that it was agreed that if the 21st Knesset is dissolved and the state of Israel goes to new elections, the agreement between the factions comprising United Torah Judaism, Agudath Israel and Degel Hatorah, will continue according to the existing arrangement, both in the order of the candidates on the list as well as in the division of roles after the elections.

The heads of the party, Deputy Health Minister Ya’akov Litzman and the Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, MK Moshe Gafni, said, "These are redundant elections that are unnecessary. But if we have to hold elections again due to Avigdor Liberman's insistence and his political motives toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, the unity and cooperation between Agudath Israel and Degel Hatorah - thanks to which UTJ won achievements in the last election - will continue in the coming elections as well.”

Coalition negotiations with Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman have been deadlocked as Liberman continues to refuse any changes to the draft law to make the bill palatable to the haredi parties.

Earlier on Tuesday, Liberman clarified in a Facebook post that he would not be prepared to accept any further compromise on the Draft Law.

“Yisrael Beytenu has no intention of joining the Likud, not as a unit, not as individuals, and not to be assimilated into the ruling party. At the same time, we have no intention of giving up our principles and commitments to our voters. Therefore, the Draft Law is neither a caprice nor about ego nor about revenge, but the cornerstone of our policy. The proposal to transfer all the goals and the expiry of the law to a government decision is akin to cosmetics for stuffed animals,” he wrote.

“It is not a minor change; it is a major change. Therefore, we are adhering to our proposal - the second and third readings of the Draft Law in its original version, just as it was in the first reading, and that the haredi MKs will not participate in the vote. This is the proposal and nothing else," stressed Liberman.

Liberman’s comments came after the special committee for the bill to dissolve the Knesset approved the motion for its second and third readings. The Knesset will begin its deliberations on the bill on Wednesday at noon.