Liberman defends haredi compromise amid coalition talks, vows not to abandon IDF draft principles

Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman on Sunday defended his willingness to compromise with haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties over military conscription, insisting that reaching political agreements does not mean abandoning his principles.

Liberman's remarks came after his announcement on Friday that he was prepared to show flexibility on the haredi draft law, a significant shift from his staunch opposition to entering a government with the haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.

"Being willing to compromise does not mean giving up values and principles," Liberman said.

The Yisrael Beytenu leader accused commentators, journalists, bots, and political critics of misrepresenting his intentions, claiming that some of the criticism carried racist undertones.

"In recent days, I have been watching a parade of folly by a series of commentators, partisan journalists, bots, and people with prejudices, sometimes with a distinctly racist tone," he said.

"No matter what I say, what I do, or what the truth is, they are always busy attributing malicious motives and inventing conspiracies."