Yesh Atid refuses coalition with haredim

Yesh Atid has made it clear that they see no place for haredim in the next government, Likud Beytenu said following talks between the two parties Thursday, encouraging the Bayit Yehudi to abandon its pact with Yesh Atid and join the coalition.

"[Likud Beytenu and Yesh Atid] discussed a lot of issues, and dedicated a large part of the meeting to clarifying Yesh Atid's stance about haredi parties joining the government," attorney David Shimron, head of the Likud Beytenu negotiating team, explained following the parties' negotiations. "The answer we got on this matter was that, essentially, to Yesh Atid there is no place for haredim in the next government."

Shimron added that Likud Beytenu is "asking Bayit Yehudi this question, to understand if they reject haredi parties in the government," and that the two parties will meet on Friday, their fifth meeting this week, to discuss the matter.

While Yesh Atid denied outright rejecting a government with haredim, as it has done since talks began last month, the party said it would stick to its principles – which include several problematic areas for Shas and UTJ - and expressed hope that the next government would reflect the will of the people and allow for a new political agenda.