Rabbi Lando signals Degel HaTorah leadership change ahead of election
The ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah faction is removing veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev from its Knesset slate to refresh party leadership. The decision follows internal tensions regarding haredi conscription legislation and relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Why it matters
This leadership shake-up within a key coalition partner could impact the stability of the Israeli government and its approach to controversial military conscription policies.
The haredi (ultra-Orthodox) United Torah Judaism Party (UTJ) will remove veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev from its Knesset slate ahead of the upcoming elections, the office of the faction's spiritual leader, Rabbi Dov Lando, confirmed late Saturday night.Gafni has long served as chairman of Degel HaTorah, a faction within UTJ, which runs jointly with another haredi faction, Agudat Yisrael. Since the 1992 elections, Degel HaTorah has run with Agudat Israel.MK Yakov Asher will reportedly replace Gafni on the list and head UTJ, instead of MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, who currently chairs the joint list in the Knesset.Gafni first entered the Knesset as a Degel HaTorah representative in 1994, while Maklev entered the Knesset in 2008.In a statement released late Saturday night, Lando's office said the decision was made “due to the need to refresh the ranks…
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