Senior Shas Rov Backs Netanyahu-Eisenkot Government, Open to Prime Minister Rotation Deal

A senior member of Shas’s rabbinic leadership has expressed support for a possible unity government bringing together Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, even indicating that he would accept an agreement allowing Eisenkot to serve as prime minister on a rotating basis. However, he made clear that Shas’s participation would depend on legislation protecting yeshiva bochurim from military enlistment requirements.

Rav Moshe Maya, a prominent member of the Shas Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah, outlined his position in recordings obtained by i24NEWS, offering a potential framework for a broad coalition amid negotiations over the formation of Israel’s next government.

According to the recordings, Rav Maya favors an arrangement that would bring Eisenkot into a government alongside Likud, the chareidi parties and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism faction.

הקלטות הרב הבכיר מש"ס: "שתהיה ממשלת אחדות, גם ביבי וגם אייזנקוט". התנאי – "פטור ללומדי התורה, לא מכסות ולא כלום" | חשיפה של @aronkalman1#המהדורההמרכזית עם @MiriMichaeli pic.twitter.com/a1n2c8ch7A

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“I’m in favor of unity only with Eisenkot and Bibi: Likud, the haredim, and Smotrich,” he said.

Rav Maya also indicated that he would be prepared to support Eisenkot’s appointment to one of the government’s most powerful positions.

“Eisenkot could be appointed defense minister,” he suggested.

When questioned about whether his willingness to accommodate Eisenkot extended to a rotation arrangement with Netanyahu for the premiership, Rav Maya responded without rejecting the possibility.

Despite his openness to a broad political agreement, Rav Maya insisted that any coalition arrangement must include an acceptable resolution to the longstanding dispute over the military draft status of yeshiva students.

“There must be nothing that threatens yeshiva students, no quotas or anything else. Without that, we’re not joining,” he said.

His comments indicated that Shas’s support for a unity government would be conditional on legislation that does not establish enlistment targets or introduce provisions threatening the continued learning of yeshiva bochurim.

Rav Maya also expressed dissatisfaction with previous legislative efforts to address the draft controversy, suggesting that successive proposals had failed to resolve the underlying issue.

“All the legislation we’ve had until now was just a way to buy time,” he added.

The recordings surfaced Wednesday as President Isaac Herzog began consultations with the parties elected to the Knesset to determine which candidate should receive the mandate to form a government.

“We wish him success in reaching 61 seats,” the party’s representatives said.

During the meeting, Shas MK Michael Malchieli spoke about the difficulties experienced by the chareidi community over the past four years, particularly the criticism directed at yeshiva students and the Torah community amid the continuing draft controversy.

“We have been through four very difficult years, during which terrible things were said about our community. It is unacceptable for an entire segment of the Jewish people to feel this way. I call for an end to this and for the protection of those who study Torah,” Malchieli said.

When asked whether Shas would consider participating in a coalition outside Netanyahu’s traditional political bloc, its representatives did not categorically dismiss the possibility. Instead, they emphasized the importance of establishing a stable government capable of addressing Israel’s security and domestic challenges.

“We hope those on the other side will understand the threats facing us, both at home and abroad. The people of Israel want a stable government,” they responded.

Rav Maya’s comments have attracted additional attention because neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot currently has an obvious path to a governing majority. Both leaders face difficult coalition negotiations following an election that left Israel’s political blocs without a clear 61-seat majority.

According to a separate report, Netanyahu has privately indicated that he is not completely ruling out a rotation arrangement with Eisenkot, despite the reservations expressed by senior Likud figures.