Haredi party may change sides, enabling Eisenkot to form new government

Last month's elections marked a significant setback for the ultra-Orthodox parties, particularly Shas, the Sephardi or Mizrachi ultra-Orthodox party.

While the Ashkenazi United Torah Judaism largely maintained its electoral strength, Shas fell sharply from 11 seats in 2022 to just six, losing considerable support mainly among traditional and religious voters who had backed the party in previous elections.

In addition, both ultra-Orthodox parties have seen their broader political influence weakened by their long-standing alliance with Netanyahu.

Now, with Gadi Eisenkot given the mandate to try to form a government, the Haredi parties are reconsidering their longstanding alliance with Netanyahu and his bloc for the first time since 2009.

Netanyahu has not always been supported by Haredim. In 2003, as Finance Minister, he implemented major cuts to child allowances and welfare payments. The backlash from ultra-Orthodox contributed to Likud's collapse in the 2006 election, its worst result at the time.

Since then, Netanyahu has built strong ties with the ultra-Orthodox, touting his “right-wing bloc” as built from “natural partners” based on a shared view of Judaism as both a religion and a national identity. Generous state funding for the Haredi education system has strengthened the relationship, making the ultra-Orthodox parties increasingly dependent on Likud.

By aligning themselves so closely with Netanyahu, Shas and United Torah Judaism effectively gave up their traditional role as kingmakers capable of working with the Left and the Right.