Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman outlined two conditions he would attach to any post-election coalition talks at a Sunday gathering in Haifa aimed at students enrolled in liberal pre-military preparatory programmes: mandatory military service for all citizens, and the drafting of an Israeli constitution through a panel of specialists followed by a public referendum — a process that would bypass the Knesset entirely.
The address was delivered at a day-long gathering in Haifa — described as the first of its kind to bring together students enrolled in pre-military preparatory programmes with a liberal orientation — where Lieberman framed the upcoming vote as a choice between serving in the military and avoiding that obligation.
Lieberman argued that a victory in the vote was necessary to prevent religious law from becoming the sole basis of governance, and separately noted that his calls for universal conscription had extended well beyond the haredi community, spanning many years of public advocacy.
Under the conscription framework he described, two pathways would exist — one leading into armed service, the other into civilian roles. Oversight of the civilian track, Lieberman stated, would rest with the Defence Ministry directly, bypassing any role for nonprofit organisations or intermediary bodies.
Lieberman made clear that agreement on conscription was a precondition for coalition formation and that the matter would not be open to negotiation. The requirement, he said, would extend to all communities without exception — among them haredi Jews, Arab citizens, Christians, and Circassians.
Speaking about protests over the proposed enlistment of haredi men into the military, Lieberman described those who had taken part in the Jerusalem march the previous week as individuals evading or abandoning their service obligations. He noted that participants in that march had distributed NIS 1,000 per day to each of the individuals in question and carried placards bearing the phrase "The IDF is the enemy army," and stated that no voices from within the coalition had spoken out against it.
On the question of constitutional reform, Lieberman argued that a new constitution represented the only meaningful structural change needed, and asserted that those in power place their own political survival above the safety of the public. He stated his opposition to fragmented, incremental measures, pointing out that when the state was founded its leaders had committed to delivering a constitution by 1 October 1948.
Proponents of constitutional reform, Lieberman argued, hold that adopting a constitution would bring disputes under one unified framework rather than addressing each matter through piecemeal legislation. He contended that constitution-making lay beyond the Knesset's legislative capacity and that any such document would need to address the relationship between religion and the state, the division of authority among the three branches of government, and the foundational values underpinning Zionism.
The framework Lieberman outlined called for establishing a panel of specialists tasked with drafting a new constitution over a six-month period, alongside the concurrent passage of referendum legislation to put that document to a public vote — a process he said would require a referendum outside the Knesset to carry formal weight.
Lieberman also took issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other coalition members, disputing their claim to represent the political right. He asserted that Netanyahu bears no genuine connection to that ideological tradition, and stated that characterising Ben-Gvir and Smotrich as representatives of the right-wing carried no validity. He argued that the administration's core difficulties had nothing to do with ideological positioning on that spectrum, and that holding onto power appeared to take precedence over all other considerations for the current government.
Critics, Lieberman said, have described the administration as one that governs along narrow partisan lines, deepening divisions rather than bridging them. He characterised each of the three coalition partners — Goldknopf, Deri, and Smotrich — as prioritising the interests of their own constituency, while Netanyahu, he said, is focused on preserving the coalition's parliamentary majority.
Asked whether he would join a coalition that included Ra'am or its leader Mansour Abbas, Lieberman drew a comparison between those who describe Hamas as a charitable body rather than a terrorist organisation and positions put forward by Hamas figures operating out of Gaza. He also stated that considerably more effort was needed to bring Arab citizens back into full participation in Israeli society.
Some analysts have raised concerns that the country's political structure is moving toward a fragmented model built around distinct minority communities, drawing comparisons to Lebanon's governance arrangement.
Responding to a question about how the conflict could be brought to a definitive close, Lieberman argued that for Iran such an outcome would require the removal and replacement of its governing authority — a process he characterised as the dismantling of the state. He then addressed Lebanon, arguing that a joint effort with less confrontational factions and neighbouring states aligned with stability would have served as a more effective framework for any Israeli operation there, while separately characterising the difficulty in another context as a governing authority he believes is pursuing atomic capability with armed conflict as the intended end.
Lieberman maintained that his position drew on direct relationships with various contacts throughout the region rather than on theoretical analysis, and that an effective approach would have required both a defined plan of action and the ability to deliver a substantial initial strike against Hezbollah, with partner parties bearing accountability for the consequences.
Lieberman declined to name in advance the candidate he would put forward for prime minister after the vote, contending that the question itself was one Netanyahu preferred the public to dwell on — rather than matters such as accountability for governance failures, deteriorating public safety, the events of 7 October, or what he described as the country's growing diplomatic isolation. He pointed out that the 2021 election had been contested and won with no prior arrangement over who would occupy that role.
Lapid's party secured 24 seats in the 2022 election, while the opposing side fell short of a majority. The alliance's current approach calls for each constituent party to draw the highest possible vote share on its own, with internal coordination expected to follow within hours of the polls closing. Details about who will hold which government posts — including the prime minister and defence minister roles — are expected to become clear once the full picture takes shape, with winning between 63 and 64 seats stated as the priority.
Lieberman also directed remarks toward students enrolled in left-leaning pre-military preparatory programmes, calling on them to cast ballots and not allow their votes to go to parties unlikely to meet the electoral threshold.
