United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party chairman MK Yaakov Asher has denied reports of significant progress in talks with Gadi Eisenkot and rejected claims that the sides have already exchanged drafts as part of the negotiations.
Asher clarified, "There is no truth whatsoever to reports of 'dramatic' progress in talks and 'exchanges of drafts' with United Torah Judaism". He added, "The advice coming from other parties is also based on those same false and slanted reports".
Alongside Asher's denial, Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri is taking a firm stance against the possibility of his party joining talks with the anti-Netanyahu bloc. In closed-door discussions, he has focused on the conscription bill and concerns that the haredi parties could support the formation of a government without being able to guarantee the bill's passage.
Deri said, "United Torah Judaism has no guarantees that the conscription bill will pass". He added, "The Knesset's legal advisers have already stated that the conscription bill cannot be passed before a government is sworn in, and they do not need the haredi parties for the budget either".
According to Deri, forming a government with the support of the haredi parties before resolving the conscription issue could leave them unable to ensure that their demands are advanced.
He warned, "It is dangerous for them to form a government on the strength of haredi votes, only for us to end up driven out of town without the status of yeshiva students being resolved". He added, "In any event, Shas will not hold talks with the change bloc. The Council of Torah Sages has decided that we are going with Netanyahu, and that is how it will be".