Haredi minister calls for Israeli unity gov't with Lapid, Liberman

In the midst of the ongoing 45-day conflict with Hamas, Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Ya'acov Margi (Shas), called for the formation of a broad national unity government during an interview on 103FM.

He emphasized the immediate need for such unity, stating, "If we value our lives, we must establish a government of national consensus."

Margi expressed concerns about the government's handling of the war with Hamas and stressed the importance of coming together as a society.

"If someone believes that, after 45 days of conflict, everything will return to normal, they are either mistaken or living in a fantasy world. There is no doubt that we need to come together," he said. "If we value our lives, we must establish a government of national consensus. I am willing to pay any personal price for the sake of having a broad national unity government. Let's put an end to the nonsense; we had almost nothing left to argue about."

"I reflect on my own mistakes"

He added, "I have taken it upon myself not to blame anyone else but to reflect on my own actions. Every morning, I reflect on my own mistakes... and I can tell you this – we could have brought something different to this great country, to this deserving people, to this fine nation, but we got stuck in a quagmire."

Regarding the prospect of forming a unity government with opposition figures such as opposition leader Yair Lapid, Margi was open to the idea. He stated, "If someone, six weeks after the war, thinks that the world will be the same as it was before, they are either mistaken or out of touch."

When asked if even Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) would be included in such a government, Margi responded positively, saying, "All of them. Yes, definitely, why not?"

On the question of whether a catastrophe is needed for everyone in Israel to unite, Margi replied, "Woe unto us if that's the case. Have we not learned anything from history? We have suffered enough. Perhaps this is the price of us not learning from our history."

Regarding the current government's size, Margi admitted, "I would have preferred a government with just 18 ministries, but it was a political necessity after five rounds of elections. Can I say that everyone is comfortable with the current government's composition? No, they're not. Is everyone comfortable with the government's size? No. At the moment, during an ongoing crisis, to shake up the government in the middle of an escalation is risky; we are facing a complex challenge."

During the conversation, Margi also addressed the issue of the death penalty for terrorists involved in Hamas's October 7 massacre. He emphasized the need for calm and thoughtful decision-making, saying, "Decisions should not be made when emotions are running high. We need to gather ourselves, conduct an examination, look left and right, and assess the new reality before making decisions. Why rush? Who is in a hurry?"

Regarding the drafting of haredim (ultra-Orthodox) into the IDF, Margi expressed his support and stated, "I have always encouraged the enlistment of haredim, not just today, but always. Unfortunately, the IDF is not meeting its recruitment targets even now, despite the commendable initiative of young people. We still have immense potential for enlistment in the haredi community, and it's a shame that Israeli society is losing out on them."

When asked whether those who do not study in yeshivas should serve in the IDF after the war, Margi responded, "We agree that those who do not study should serve."