Report: Jewish Home Party Nearing Deal With Netanyahu’s Likud
by News Editor
Times of Israel – The Likud and Jewish Home parties looked poised to strike a deal that would enable the national-religious slate to enter Benjamin Netanyahu’s future coalition after concluding their third meeting in four days on Monday.
Representatives of both parties claimed they were nearing an agreement on the thorniest issue dominating coalition talks, the universal draft legislation, whereby the sides would agree to enlist ultra-Orthodox men into military or national service at the age of 21. The Likud’s conscription plan originally set the age of enlistment at 24, while the Jewish Home had backed its ally Yesh Atid’s plan, which set the age of enlistment at 18, the same as it is for the general population.