In fact, that has been the haredi position for years – scale-tippers, the ones who decide, who must be courted and offered inducements to provide the majority needed to form a coalition. In the April 2019 election, that all changed. The haredim either grew up or have too much to lose – or both.

This crisis changed haredi politics. They went from extortionists to the extorted. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, with his five seats, managed to put up an ultimatum, extort the haredim to the fullest extent possible, and drag the country into a new election, as well. Just like Lieberman with his mere five seats was demanding the defense portfolio and to keep the haredi draft bill as-is, the haredim – who won 16 seats – claimed that they could have announced that they were opposed to the Defense Ministry's bill and warned that if they were not presented with a new version, would prevent the formation of a government. But that isn't what happened. They did everything, absolutely everything, to reach a deal.

On Sunday, the Hassidic Council of Torah Sages was forced to head into a meeting that Lieberman forced them into, and accept the draft bill as-is – with its target numbers and its punishments for draft-dodgers. They left themselves an inch of ground to stand on by asking for an amendment. But they accepted the bill for the most part.

All in all, over the course of the negotiations the haredim weren't asking for the moon. Public sentiment, as usual, put them in the position of those extorted, but the reality was different.

They were portrayed as wanting all men to wear tzitzit (ritual fringes) and all married women to cover their hair, but that was never the case. They weren't asking for more money, merely an adjustment to their current budget. They also weren't after anything new when it came to laws about businesses operating on Shabbat – just that the status quo be upheld. They even went quite far on the draft bill.

If the haredim had done what Lieberman did, people would be rioting in the streets.

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Netanyahu said that the impasse with Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman over the haredi conscription issue was "cosmetic."

"This is a semantic debate – you don't hold an early election over a cosmetic issue," Netanyahu said.

The prime minister said that Israel had "endless" things to accomplish, including addressing security and defense challenges, economic challenges, pension reform, and strengthening the settlement enterprise.

"I am telling you, from the depth of my heart, from the depth of my understanding, that there is no reason to drag the country into a needless election that will cost an astronomical sum," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu pointed to his close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump and said that the U.S. leader was in favor of Israel resolving the current coalition crisis and establishing a government that would continue to "strengthen the alliance between Israel and the United States, and make it stronger than ever."

Netanyahu said that 48 hours remained before the deadline to form a governing coalition.

"We can do a lot in 48 hours. We can establish a strong, right-wing government," he said.

"I expect the good of the country to overcome any other interest. There is still time. We can still come to our senses," the prime minister concluded.

The bill to dissolve the 21^st Knesset and hold an early general election at the end of August passed in a preliminary reading Monday evening.

Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu faction voted in favor of the bill.

To be enacted, the bill will have to pass all the requisite readings by this Wednesday – the extended deadline given to Netanyahu by President Reuven Rivlin to form a governing coalition.

The post Netanyahu: No need for a useless, expensive election appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.