Likud believes it has slowed UTJ's drift toward a change government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a lengthy meeting at the Prime Minister's Office with Yaakov Asher, chairman of the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism (UTJ), political commentator Amit Segal reported on his Telegram channel. Segal did not describe what was discussed.

According to Segal, people in Netanyahu's Likud party believe they have, for the time being, halted a rapid Haredi movement toward what Israeli politics calls a "change government", meaning a coalition built without Netanyahu. Segal added that Likud holds this view whether or not it is connected to the meeting. N12 relayed the same report, noting that Segal had first broadcast it on the channel's evening news edition.

Who the parties are

Likud is the right-wing party led by Netanyahu. United Torah Judaism is a party representing ultra-Orthodox Jews, known in Hebrew as Haredim, and has historically been one of Netanyahu's partners. Asher is its chairman. The Haredi parties have traditionally sat in coalitions with Likud, which is why any sign of them weighing an alliance with Netanyahu's opponents draws close attention in Israel.

The phrase "change government" (in Hebrew, memshelet shinui) refers to a coalition assembled by parties opposed to Netanyahu. A Haredi party joining such a camp would mark a significant break from its usual alignment. The reports present this shift as something that had been underway and that Likud now believes has been paused, not reversed.

How the reports differ

All three reports trace back to a single journalist. Segal posted the item first; N12 carried his words shortly afterwards; and News.co.il attributed the story to Segal as well. None of the three adds independent confirmation.

There are small differences in wording. Segal described a long meeting held that night at the Prime Minister's Office. News.co.il called it a secret meeting and placed it the previous night. News.co.il also framed the Haredi movement as UTJ entering the "left bloc", while Segal and N12 used the term "change government". These are differences of framing and timing in the retellings, and the original source remains Segal's post.

What is being claimed, and by whom

The central claim is an assessment, not an event: it is what figures in Likud believe about UTJ's direction. Segal does not name who in Likud holds this view, and he explicitly leaves open whether the meeting with Asher caused the change Likud perceives. The meeting itself is reported as fact by Segal; the political effect is reported as Likud's belief.

Neither Netanyahu's office nor UTJ is quoted in any of the reports. No outcome, agreement or commitment from the meeting has been described.

What the reports do not say

• What Netanyahu and Asher discussed, or whether anything was agreed.
• Whether UTJ or Asher accepts Likud's view that the party's move toward a change government has stopped.
• Which Likud figures hold this assessment, and on what basis.
• Whether the Prime Minister's Office or UTJ has confirmed the meeting.