JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A major shake-up is taking shape at the top of Israel’s Degel HaTorah party, with longtime lawmakers Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev expected to be left off the party’s list for the next Knesset.
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The move follows weeks of discussions between the homes of Rabbi Dov Landau and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, the two senior Lithuanian rabbinic leaders associated with Degel HaTorah. The talks continued until the start of Shabbat and resumed immediately afterward, with negotiations now focused on finalizing the composition of the new slate before the deadline Tuesday.
While some reports have described the replacement of Gafni and Maklev as the emerging decision, the latest reporting indicates that the rabbis have not yet formally finalized every detail of the new list.
The emerging plan would see MK Yaakov Asher take over as chairman of Degel HaTorah, replacing Gafni as the party’s leading parliamentary figure.
Asher, a former mayor of Bnei Brak, is regarded as a prominent figure within the party and has taken an increasingly forceful position on the issue of military enlistment for yeshiva students. His possible elevation would represent a significant generational and strategic change in the party’s Knesset leadership.
Earlier reports said Asher was viewed as Rabbi Landau’s representative, while MK Yitzhak Pindrus was associated with Rabbi Hirsch’s side of the emerging arrangement.
The negotiations have also expanded beyond the question of who will replace Gafni and Maklev. Moshe Rosenthal, who heads the Education Administration in Bnei Brak, has emerged as a possible candidate associated with Rabbi Landau. The Bnei Brak municipality confirms that Rosenthal currently serves as director of its Education Administration. On Rabbi Hirsch’s side, no final decision has reportedly been made regarding an additional candidate. One of the names under consideration is Yehuda Weisfish, CEO of “HaIchud” and a figure close to Rabbi Hirsch.
Other reports in recent days have also mentioned senior municipal figures as potential candidates, reflecting an effort to bring new local-government and community leadership into the party’s parliamentary representation.
At the same time, Gafni and Maklev have reportedly been working to prevent their removal from the slate.
According to the latest reports, the two lawmakers have used rabbis, political activists and other intermediaries to lobby against the move, with particular efforts directed toward Rabbi Hirsch’s camp. The goal is to preserve their places on the electoral list despite the growing momentum for a change.
The dispute has become increasingly public in recent days. Earlier this week, Gafni’s associates reportedly conveyed messages to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s circle claiming that the attempt to remove him had been blocked. Other reports, however, continued to indicate that the negotiations were moving toward replacing both veteran lawmakers.
The proposed overhaul comes against the backdrop of deep frustration within the charedi community over the failure to secure legislation protecting yeshiva students from military enlistment and the continuing arrests and sanctions against members of the community who refuse to enlist.
A recent report by Ynet said that the failure to advance the enlistment-exemption legislation, together with dissatisfaction over the government’s handling of arrests and sanctions, had prompted discussions among the party’s rabbinic leadership about refreshing the parliamentary list.
Other reports have characterized the dispute as more than a routine generational change, describing it as a struggle over the future direction and balance of power within Degel HaTorah.
The question is particularly significant because Gafni has been one of the most powerful figures in Haredi politics for decades. He first entered the Knesset in 1988 and has remained a central figure in Degel HaTorah and United Torah Judaism for most of the intervening years. His departure, if finalized, would therefore mark the end of one of the longest political careers in the current Haredi parliamentary leadership.
The talks between the two rabbinic camps are continuing, with the remaining disputes reportedly centered on the precise identities and positioning of the replacement candidates. The final slate is expected to become clear before Tuesday, when the electoral lists must be submitted.
When religious leaders get involved in politics, they become politicians – and will be related to by many as such, despite their extensive religious scholarship. This does not bring honor to the Torah and those who learn it.
Gafni is a big leftist loves the arabs
Now someone else will fill their pockets with