United Torah Judaism does not rule out joining a government headed by Gadi Eisenkot and is willing to negotiate with any political party that presents an agreed-upon solution to the issue of military conscription for yeshiva students, Avraham Justman, Agudat Yisrael's representative on the Central Elections Committee, said Friday morning in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet.
According to Justman, the party has not yet committed to joining any particular coalition, and its decision will depend first and foremost on legally regulating the status of Torah students.
Justman described United Torah Judaism's current political position as "a party on the shelf," making clear that the possibility of joining a government is not restricted in advance to any one candidate for prime minister.
When asked specifically about the possibility of joining a coalition headed by Eisenkot, he replied, "Whoever is first to provide a satisfactory solution to the conscription issue, subject to legislation, will receive a positive response."
In his remarks, Justman placed the conscription issue at the center of future coalition negotiations.
He clarified that declarations or agreements in principle would not be sufficient and that the parties would need to discuss the details of the arrangement and the possibility of enshrining it in law.
"There will be negotiations over the law, over what the haredim can live with and what they cannot," he said.
Alongside the demand for a legislative solution, Justman pointed to a shift in the positions currently being expressed within the haredi community regarding possible conscription arrangements.
"The haredim are in a different place today and will be willing to consider various possibilities," he said.
As an example, he cited remarks made by Yitzhak Pindrus during consultations with President Isaac Herzog, according to which sanctions could be imposed on those who are not studying Torah.