Full Breakdown
Degel HaTorah Overhauls Leadership Ahead of October Election
9/6/2026, 6:10:00 AM
Core Shift in the Party’s Knesset Slate
Veteran Degel HaTorah lawmakers Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev will not appear on the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) list for the election scheduled for October 27. Rabbi Dov Lando informed them on Saturday night that they must step aside so “new representatives” can be presented to voters. The party’s internal deadline for submitting its final candidate list is September 8. Yaakov Asher, former mayor of Bnei Brak, is slated to replace Gafni as Degel HaTorah’s faction chairman and will also head the broader UTJ alliance under the rotation agreement with Agudat Yisrael.
Background & Context
Degel HaTorah is the Lithuanian-stream ultra-Orthodox faction of UTJ, which alternates leadership between its two components. Gafni, first elected in 1988, chaired the Knesset Finance Committee for more than a decade. Maklev entered the Knesset in 2008. Both have championed the Basic Law: Torah Study, which passed 63-52, and have pursued a draft-exemption bill for yeshiva students that ultimately failed.
Internal Dynamics and Rabbi Lando’s Role
Rabbi Dov Lando, the 96-year-old spiritual authority of the Lithuanian Haredi community, issued a letter thanking Gafni and Maklev for their “activity in recent years” and citing the need to “refresh” the party’s Knesset representation. He has signaled a willingness to dissolve the Knesset if the government does not advance the Haredi conscription exemption, a stance that would trigger early elections.
David Shapira, a close confidant of Lando, has reportedly led calls for a harder line against the government and for replacing Gafni with a figure ideologically closer to Lando. Potential replacements under consideration include Bnei Brak deputy mayor Menachem Shapira, Modi’in Illit mayor Yaakov Guterman, Jerusalem deputy mayor Lazer Rauchberger, and Degel HaTorah faction head Miki Alper.
Official Statements & Responses
The office of Rabbi Lando confirmed that the letter expressed gratitude for the lawmakers’ “total obedience with religious leaders” and highlighted their role in defending yeshiva students. Lando’s remarks in Tiberias underscored the community’s reliance on divine providence rather than any specific political leader.
Data & Statistics
- Basic Law: Torah Study passed 63-52.
- Gafni’s Knesset service: first elected 1988, chaired Finance Committee for more than a decade.
- Maklev’s Knesset service: entered 2008.
- Candidate-list deadline: September 8.
- Election date: October 27.
- UTJ leadership rotation: Degel HaTorah leads this cycle, so the new chairman will also chair the joint UTJ list.
Why It Matters
The leadership change could shift Degel HaTorah’s tactical posture toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc, especially as the faction has previously signaled willingness to leave the governing coalition over the draft-exemption issue. Analysts note that the new chairman, Yaakov Asher, is closely aligned with Lando’s circle, potentially strengthening calls for a full ministerial portfolio—a demand that would give the faction greater influence in future coalition negotiations.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the definitive list of candidates who might replace Gafni and Maklev. While some reports name Menachem Shapira, Yaakov Guterman, and Lazer Rauchberger, others mention Miki Alper. No final roster has been confirmed as of the September 8 deadline.
