Gafni Allies Outraged Over Knesset List Removal Amid Power Struggle

Allies of outgoing United Torah Judaism party chairman Moshe Gafni are expressing anger and shock over his removal from the party's Knesset list for the upcoming elections. They claim the decision was a deliberate, hidden ouster orchestrated by internal power struggles within the Lithuanian Haredi faction, and that they were misled by assurances that no changes were planned.

Sources close to Gafni told "Kikar HaShabbat" that attempts were made to carry out the move "in the dark," with repeated denials from Rabbi Dov Lando's household, a key Haredi spiritual leader. "It started with rumors, and rabbis' homes denied them in conversations with us, claiming it was all nonsense and there were no changes," Gafni's associates stated. They learned of the decision only last week and believed they had averted it by the end of the week, only to realize the decision was final on Saturday night.

Another senior figure close to Gafni dismissed claims that the removal was due to Gafni's alleged failure to advance the draft law for Haredim, stating that Rabbi Lando fully supports Gafni on that issue. Instead, they asserted, the move is a result of "power struggles" for which Gafni is paying the price, and not related to his age.

Rabbi Lando's office officially announced the decision, stating that the leader had sent personal letters to Knesset members Gafni and Uri Maklev thanking them for their service and informing them of a "refreshment of the ranks" to bring in new representatives. However, Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, another prominent spiritual leader, reportedly opposes the removal and had tried to persuade Rabbi Lando to postpone the decision.

Sources close to Rabbi Lando's household rejected the characterization of the move as an "ouster," insisting it was a pre-agreed, necessary "refreshment" of the list. They claimed Gafni was aware for a long time that discussions about refreshing the list were ongoing and that the decision was made due to the need for new representatives, expressing significant appreciation for Gafni's past service.