Transcript [00:02] Welcome to Waiting for 61, JT's Israel [00:05] election podcast, where we're breaking [00:07] down the fundamentals of Israel's 2026 [00:09] elections, the politics, the fires, [00:12] what's at stake, as each side scrambles [00:14] to put together government. I'm Ami [00:17] Eden, the CEO and executive editor of 70 [00:20] Faces Media, the organization that [00:22] brings you the Jewish Telegraphic [00:24] Agency. [00:25] >> And I'm Ruth Eglash, JTA's senior Israel [00:28] correspondent. Today marks nine days [00:30] since the election and there's [00:32] absolutely no sign of 61, but there is a [00:35] little bit of progress that we'll talk [00:37] about shortly. [00:39] >> As usual, uh remember to send your [00:41] questions to waiting for61jta.org. [00:45] Hopefully today you'll see that it's [00:46] worth it and we'll be getting more [00:48] questions from all of you. And if you're [00:50] enjoying Waiting for 61, please [00:52] subscribe and give us a fivestar rating [00:55] wherever you listen to your podcasts. [00:57] Okay, let's get into it. Today, we're [00:59] tackling some of your questions. This [01:01] one comes from Nancy from Cincinnati. [01:04] Why did Donald Trump side with JD Vance [01:07] on blaming Israel and Iran for Tuesday's [01:11] Republican losses? [01:12] >> Well, I think Amy, that's something [01:14] you're going to have to answer, seeing [01:15] as you're the one on on that side of the [01:17] world. [01:18] >> I think there's actually an important [01:21] distinction to make between the two [01:23] responses. And just to level set for [01:25] everybody, the vice president made waves [01:28] on Wednesday cuz he put up a social [01:31] media post basically giving a long [01:34] in-depth [01:36] um analysis of why Republicans got [01:40] crushed and really what they need to [01:43] change. He underscored four things that [01:46] led many Donald Trump 2024 voters to [01:49] vote for Democrats, right? And two of [01:51] them were they need to stop the war in [01:54] Iran and they need to change the [01:56] relationship that the United States has [01:58] with Israel. And the clear emphasis of [02:00] that message was not just what went [02:03] wrong, but what needs to change. [02:07] When the reporters then asked President [02:10] Trump what he thought about what JD [02:12] Vance said, Trump said, "Well, you know, [02:16] it's, you know, he's he's got a point [02:18] like he's right." But then he proceeded [02:20] to say [02:22] I would do it all again. You know that [02:24] the Iran, you know, that we can't let [02:26] Iran have the nuclear weapons and we did [02:28] what we had to do. And so the tone was [02:31] very different. I mean, we'll see what [02:33] happens in the coming days and weeks. [02:34] But I feel like JD Vance was like [02:36] throwing down the gauntlet and basically [02:38] saying this war was a mistake. it cost [02:42] us the elections and we should really we [02:45] have to very quickly [02:48] change course. Whereas President Trump [02:50] was saying something different. He was [02:51] you know one could say he was doing the [02:54] rare you know a rare candid comment from [02:57] a politician basically saying yeah I [02:59] know uh this policy may have blown up in [03:02] our face politically but it was the [03:03] right thing to do and I would do it [03:05] again whether you agree with him or not. [03:07] You know, I didn't I don't think that [03:09] message actually read as [03:12] blaming in a in a very political way. [03:15] And you know, JD Vance was he was really [03:17] framing it around the politics and not [03:19] around the substance of whether is the a [03:22] policy the right thing to do. I mean, [03:24] clearly he has he's not a fan of this [03:26] war. I don't need to suggest otherwise, [03:28] but it was very much a his comment was a [03:32] political analysis. Who's to blame? and [03:34] how do we get let how do we let politics [03:36] drive what we do next? Whereas I think [03:38] Donald Trump was showing a moment of [03:42] introspection whether sincere or not [03:44] saying hey yeah this was bad but we did [03:48] what we had to do and I would do it [03:50] again. So I think those react I think [03:52] their reactions were actually quite [03:54] different on in several meaningful ways. [03:58] I mean, but isn't that that's has been [04:00] both of their positions as far as I've [04:02] understood it since the beginning of the [04:04] war. I Vance has not been in favor and [04:06] Trump has been kind of consistently [04:08] saying we got to stop Iran's nuclear [04:10] program. But it shows publicly that [04:13] they're both on different tracks. And [04:14] there was some other comments I think [04:16] said yesterday that shows there's this [04:18] growing uh you know this growing gap [04:21] between uh between the president and the [04:23] vice president. Very interesting, Amy. I [04:25] mean, they've there's always been a it's [04:27] always been clear that they're not [04:28] exactly on the same page, but I would [04:31] say this was the most sort of public [04:34] instance where the distinctions were [04:36] being drawn in a very stark way. Let's [04:39] go to the next message from Barbara. [04:42] She comes from parts unknown. What's the [04:45] deal with the story being pushed by [04:47] about foreign funding playing a role in [04:49] the massive Arab voter turnout? Is there [04:51] evidence that this occurred? and if so, [04:54] could it affect the results [04:55] retroactively? [04:57] >> Well, you know, Barbara sounds very uh [04:59] mysterious and the answer to this [05:01] question is kind of mysterious. I don't [05:03] think anyone really knows what's going [05:05] on. You have one group of politicians [05:08] saying the elections uh need to be [05:10] investigated. The results of the [05:12] elections need to be investigated. and [05:13] that's Netanyahu and most of the party [05:16] the right-wing parties in his block who [05:18] are saying there's been some you know [05:20] irregularities here some foreign funding [05:24] um they have speculated that it comes [05:26] from Qatar or maybe from Turkey and they [05:29] are calling for deeper investigations [05:32] and even saying that the election has [05:33] been stolen uh which we've heard [05:36] frequently from members of the Otsma [05:38] Yudit which is Beng's party and on the [05:42] other side the opposition position and [05:44] the Arab parties are saying that it's [05:45] kind of a witch hunt and it's just being [05:47] used to delegitimize the election. And [05:50] in the middle you have the officials who [05:53] you have the central election committee [05:55] which actually said there have been some [05:57] irregularities and we're looking into it [05:59] but it's not enough to change the [06:02] election results and they already went [06:04] ahead yesterday uh Wednesday and handed [06:07] the official results to President [06:10] Herzog. So from their perspective, it's [06:13] this isn't going to change anything. And [06:15] you now you have this growing spat [06:17] between the Shinbet, Israel's [06:20] intelligence agency, and the attorney [06:22] general. And the head of the Shinbet is [06:25] David Zeni. He's an appointee of [06:27] Netanyahu. And the attorney general was [06:30] appointed by the brief change government [06:33] under Napali Bennett and Ya Li. And [06:36] there is this like now there's a tension [06:38] there whereby it's being said that Zeni [06:42] uh the Shinbet wants to investigate [06:44] deeper into this situation. He wants to [06:46] call in the heads of the Arab parties [06:49] and talk to them about where you know [06:52] where the funding is coming from. Is [06:54] there more irregularities that we don't [06:56] know about? And the attorney general who [06:58] says well we don't have enough [07:00] information. You can't just call in [07:02] people and investigate them if you don't [07:04] have any proof. So, she's been blocking [07:07] um this investigation and you know, I [07:10] mean, this is very unusual. I don't [07:12] recall this happening here before, but [07:14] what's interesting is that yesterday [07:16] evening, Prime Minister Netanyahu [07:19] issued or published a video where he [07:22] talked about how Israel was under attack [07:25] from Islamist influences. Um, no [07:28] different to what's been happening in [07:30] France. you know what's been happening [07:32] in France with the protests there and uh [07:35] growing Muslim population or if mus [07:38] extremist Muslim population he said [07:41] Israel is heading the same way and he's [07:43] basically saying you know obviously you [07:45] can't stop that if you have a government [07:46] with Arab members which he's suggesting [07:49] that that's what Gaddyizenot's going to [07:51] do or he has to do if he wants to form a [07:54] government to replace him and he said [07:56] that uh the only person that can stop [07:59] this from happening in Israel is him and [08:01] his and his right-wing government. And [08:02] he was also c he was actually calling [08:04] for a broad uh unity government. I think [08:07] that's kind of was the undertone of his [08:10] message. A right-wing Zionist [08:13] uh broad government, I think was what he [08:15] said. So he's talking about having the [08:18] the other parties that are closer to the [08:21] could in uh in their ideology join [08:24] forces with him under his leadership. [08:26] >> And that last part is the key under his [08:29] leadership. Right? Meaning he could say, [08:33] "I feel so strongly about this that I [08:35] will hand the reigns over to a different [08:39] leader of Likood to carry forward and [08:41] then create this government." But that's [08:43] that's not going to be in the cards with [08:46] um the prime minister. But it does [08:48] create an interesting paradox which is [08:51] if having an Eisenhotled change [08:56] government with support from the Arab [08:59] parties is so dangerous and existential [09:01] to Israel, then how on earth could you [09:04] say, "But I'm only going to stop it if [09:08] you let me be the prime minister." And [09:11] let me just say the flip side. When BB [09:13] put together this government, people [09:15] were saying it's the end of the world if [09:18] you add Ben Smotrich in the government, [09:22] it will be an existential danger to [09:24] Israeli democracy and change the course [09:26] of the country. But then in the same [09:28] breath, all these centrist parties [09:30] wouldn't join with BB. So it's like, how [09:32] bad do you think it is if you're [09:34] willing? You could have stopped it, [09:36] right? the the all these moderate [09:39] center-right leaders could have said, [09:40] "We feel so strongly about Bengir and [09:42] Smotri being a danger to Israeli [09:45] democracy that we will form a government [09:47] with BB so that we can have a more [09:50] center centeright government and they [09:52] didn't do that." So, you know, I I'm [09:55] picking on BB here, but let's be clear, [09:56] the shoe was on the other foot last time [09:58] around. Okay, let's go to the next [10:02] question, which could be our final [10:03] question. We'll see. Josh from [10:05] Hollywood, Florida. Why did the United [10:08] Tora Judaism Party refuse to recommend [10:11] BB to form the next government? Don't [10:13] they know that the current Netanyahu [10:16] block is their best bet at avoiding more [10:18] severe enforcement of military service [10:20] for the ultraorththodox? Before you dive [10:23] in, Ruth, let's first first level set [10:25] and remind people who is the United [10:28] Torah Judaism Party and how do they [10:30] relate to the whole Kared issue and the [10:32] draft issue? Well, even before before [10:35] that I want to say that uh just just to [10:38] as I mentioned there has been I don't [10:40] know if it's progress towards uh 61 but [10:43] there have been steps in the last two [10:45] days and President Herzog met yesterday [10:48] with a group of with with I think five [10:50] or six different um parties and heard [10:53] from them what their recommendation was [10:55] who they thought should be given the [10:57] baton to to uh try and form the next [11:00] government. And today he met with uh two [11:03] or three parties as well. Uh one of the [11:05] parties he met with this morning was the [11:07] United Torah Judaism which is an [11:09] amalgamation of two ultraorththodox uh [11:12] parties, different uh streams of uh [11:15] karedi Judaism. I think one is like [11:18] Lithuanian. They're both Ashkanazi [11:21] um groups and they traditionally I mean [11:25] Netanyahu has made it a tradition [11:27] because I think before Netanyahu was [11:30] prime minister they were quite flexible [11:32] and they didn't really see themselves as [11:34] right-wing leftwing they were only [11:36] concerned about their issues in their [11:39] communities and since Netanyahu has [11:41] risen to power and his power has got [11:43] stronger and stronger they have formed [11:44] an alliance with Netanyahu and Netanyahu [11:47] likes them because he he doesn't feel [11:49] threatened by them. They don't have [11:51] aspirations to become prime minister and [11:54] steal the premiership from him. So, [11:55] they're good and reliable partners. They [11:58] see eye to eye on several issues. But [12:01] there is one issue that is causing this [12:04] tension now. And it's something that has [12:06] been building and I think we spoke about [12:08] this yesterday that if you don't deal [12:10] with things then things can explode and [12:12] that's I think what has happened here [12:14] because one of the promises Nataniel who [12:18] made to them to get them to join his [12:20] coalition in 2022 was that he would pass [12:24] legislation [12:26] exempting uh yeshiva students, [12:28] ultraorththodox uh teenagers, teenage [12:31] boys from being drafted to the army. And [12:34] it's such a contentious issue. And then [12:36] add to that October 7th and you know [12:39] ongoing war with on seven fronts and [12:42] young Israelis doing or not just young [12:45] Israelis, Israelis doing military [12:46] service, reserve duty in the army um for [12:50] days and days on end and the army saying [12:52] they're short of uh of soldiers. and the [12:56] the efforts to pass legislation that [12:59] would exempt um young ultraorththodox [13:02] men um have failed. They no one can [13:05] agree on it because should it be should [13:07] it be everyone? Should it be a small [13:09] number? Should it just be yeshiva [13:10] scholars? No one can agree on on the [13:13] format. Should they go into the army and [13:15] the army make changes so that they their [13:18] you know their religious uh beliefs are [13:21] not challenged by I don't know serving [13:23] with women. Um, so there's all these [13:25] questions that have come up and [13:27] Netanyahu has not managed to pass this [13:29] legislation and it has left the [13:31] ultraorththodox in this kind of limbo [13:34] and just as it's bad for secular Israeli [13:38] society, it's also bad for the [13:40] ultraorththodox because they now have [13:42] hanging over them this threat of being [13:45] arrested for not showing up for their I [13:48] mean the ex the the invitations to to [13:52] join the army go out autom automatically [13:54] to every single Israeli the first draft [13:58] request, the summons to go and sign up [14:00] at in the army go out automatically and [14:04] the system that they have doesn't know [14:06] if someone's ultra orthodox or secular. [14:09] You are born on a certain date 16 17 [14:12] years later the you get a summon to the [14:15] army and you have to show up and if you [14:17] don't show up then you're breaking the [14:19] law. So they have been being arrested [14:23] arrested at the airport and when they're [14:25] I don't know going to the United States [14:27] to yeshiva or coming back from the [14:30] United States has happened a few weeks [14:32] ago and that uh has left the ultra [14:35] orthodox very very upset. The one thing [14:37] that they promised their public that [14:38] they would deal with that Natano [14:40] promised the politicians that he would [14:42] deal with has has not been has not been [14:45] tackled, has not been resolved. And you [14:48] know, it's been has been, I would say, [14:50] chaos in Israel because every week uh [14:54] when one or two or three of these young [14:56] men are arrested for not showing up for [14:58] their military service, they then go [15:00] out, their friends go out on the street. [15:03] Uh they block the main roads in Israel. [15:06] there's big protests. This police have [15:08] to come and the police can be [15:10] heavy-handed and they're dragging them [15:11] out the way. And it's just been some [15:13] crazy uh images and crazy scenes in [15:17] also, you know, just individual people [15:19] who are mad that they can't drive on the [15:21] highway getting out of their cars and [15:23] actually having like fisty cuffs fights [15:25] with uh with each other. So, it's it's [15:28] really uh become [15:30] an unbearable situation for both sides. [15:33] And so I think the ultraorththodox the [15:36] United Torah Judaism leaders had no [15:38] choice but not to recommend Netanyahu. [15:40] But they also did not recommend Eisenot [15:42] either. [15:44] But to the person's question, [15:47] doesn't it have to be that however [15:50] disappointed they are with Netanyahu [15:53] failing to concretize [15:55] the exemptions into a law? It has to be [15:58] better for them on this issue than what [16:01] Eisenhot and the change block are [16:03] talking about, right? because they're [16:04] all demanding that this that the are [16:08] going to start being drafted on mass or [16:12] you know having to do national service [16:13] on mass. So why I get the disappointment [16:17] that BB didn't deliver in terms of like [16:20] we'll pass a law to make sure that [16:22] you're good but the other side is saying [16:25] we're going to start enforcing the law [16:27] and make you all serve. How is it [16:29] possible that it's better for United [16:31] Torah Judaism on this issue to to go [16:34] with anybody else but the BB camp? [16:36] >> So, I I'll say two things about that. [16:37] First of all, um you know, not [16:40] recommending Netanyahu is sending him a [16:42] message that to say they were very upset [16:43] with you. It's also they can use this as [16:46] a negotiating tactic. If Eisenot fails [16:49] in, you know, to put together a [16:51] coalition and Natanyahu gets to have a [16:53] go, they can then negotiate with [16:55] Natanyahu even come in even stronger and [16:57] say, "Listen, well, we will join you, [16:59] but only if you make sure sure that we [17:01] can do this." And I think that your [17:03] analysis of the of the change block of [17:06] the opposition block saying that they're [17:07] going to immediately start drafting [17:09] ultraorththodox is not actually correct. [17:11] there is some leeway in their approach. [17:14] Like they know that taking every single [17:17] 18-year-old ultraorththodox kid and [17:19] putting him in an army uniform is not [17:21] going to make him a soldier. They know [17:23] that it's a process. They accept that [17:25] maybe there is a certain percentage of [17:28] young yeshiva basers of young you know [17:30] brilliant young men who should be [17:32] studying in in yeshivas and they accept [17:35] that they I mean the different parties [17:37] go to different lengths. Um but there [17:40] are there is some flexibility. So maybe [17:43] the United Torah Judaism uh uh Knesset [17:46] members think well you know what there [17:47] there is a step and we'll just have to [17:50] sit and negotiate with them. It's going [17:52] to be a bit harder but you know they [17:54] want to address this issue as much as we [17:55] do. So maybe together we can find a [17:57] compromise and we can find a way. And I [17:59] I think you know they come in hard ball [18:02] but maybe there is a way for them to [18:04] compromise a little bit too because they [18:06] do recognize that there are some young [18:09] men who are not really studying in [18:12] yeshiva who like say they are but [18:14] they're not or they're dropouts or [18:16] whatever. So you know maybe they can do [18:19] national service and not do the army. [18:21] Maybe they can do other things. So I and [18:24] I and and you know we we talked I think [18:25] we talked about this in one episode the [18:27] the Karedi public which didn't get that [18:30] many votes in the end uh in the election [18:32] but they're a progressive uh I want to [18:34] say progressive but they're a party with [18:36] that's party ultra orthodox party that [18:40] would like to see more inclusion of [18:43] ultraorththodox in Israeli society you [18:46] know in general so there is some kind of [18:50] movement there on both sides there is [18:52] room on both sides decides to kind of at [18:54] least start talking about it. I don't [18:57] know if they will find a resolution, but [18:59] they can start taking small steps to [19:01] talk about it. [19:03] >> Okay, that's it for today. Thank you to [19:06] our producer Maya Rackov. Please make [19:08] sure to join us Sunday for the next [19:10] episode of Waiting for 61 and hope you [19:14] got the message. Don't forget to send [19:15] your questions in to waiting for61 [19:17] atjta.org. [19:19] And if you're enjoying Waiting for 61, [19:21] please subscribe and give us a five-star [19:23] rating wherever you listen to your [19:24] podcasts.
On today’s mailbag episode, Ami and Ruth responded to questions from our listeners. They tackled several issues, including the claim that foreign funds influenced Arab voter turnout, United Torah Judaism’s decision not to recommend Netanyahu to form a government, and more…
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CREDITS:
CO-HOST: Ami Eden
CO-HOST: Ruth Eglash
PRODUCER: Maya Rackoff
