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Moshe Gafni Dropped from Degel Hatorah’s Knesset Slate Ahead of Election
9/7/2026, 1:40:29 PM
Moshe Gafni Removed from the Party List
Degel Hatorah’s spiritual leader Rabbi Dov Lando instructed the party to omit long-serving MK Moshe Gafni and fellow MK Uri Maklev from its upcoming Knesset slate. The decision, announced on a Saturday night, was framed as a need to “refresh” the party’s parliamentary representation. Yakov Asher will replace Gafni as Degel Hatorah chairman and is expected to lead the party’s list.
Background: Haredi Influence and Gafni’s Career
Moshe Gafni entered the Knesset in 1988 and, aside from brief interruptions (1992-94 and 1998-99), has served for almost 38 years, making him the longest-serving MK. As a dominant figure in the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox (haredi) bloc, he chaired the Knesset Finance Committee and helped secure substantial budgets for yeshiva students. Degel Hatorah, together with Agudat Yisrael, forms United Torah Judaism (UTJ), a party that has historically held the balance of power by aligning with whichever major party could meet its communal demands, especially regarding military exemptions for yeshiva students.
Official Statements from Degel Hatorah Leadership
Rabbi Lando thanked Gafni and Maklev for their loyal service but indicated that the party’s failure to pass comprehensive legislation protecting yeshiva-student draft exemptions had contributed to the change. Earlier in the year, Lando publicly stated that Degel Hatorah no longer trusted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that the traditional right-wing bloc “no longer existed” for the party. The leadership emphasized that the move is a political repositioning rather than an ideological shift on conscription.
Political Implications for Netanyahu and Coalition Dynamics
Removing Gafni deprives Netanyahu of a reliable liaison to the Lithuanian haredi leadership, potentially weakening his grip on the haredi vote. Nonetheless, Degel Hatorah remains culturally and politically closer to Likud than to anti-Netanyahu parties. Recent polls suggest the anti-Netanyahu bloc may fall short of the 61 seats needed to form a government, while UTJ consistently polls at about seven seats. If the bloc remains a few seats shy, UTJ could become a decisive swing vote, though any coalition would still need to accommodate the party’s firm stance against haredi conscription.
Outlook Ahead of the Election
With the October election looming, Degel Hatorah’s new leadership under Asher may signal openness to negotiations with both the “change bloc” and the traditional Likud camp. However, the party’s core opposition to draft reforms appears unchanged, suggesting that its future role will hinge on strategic positioning rather than ideological realignment.
