Veteran Lawmakers Ousted as Haredi Party Undergoes Leadership Shakeup

In a significant shakeup within the Haredi political landscape, two veteran lawmakers from the Degel HaTorah party, Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, will not be running for the Knesset in the upcoming elections. Gafni, who has served for 38 years and chaired the influential Finance Committee for over a decade, and Maklev, first elected in 2008, are being replaced as part of a broader effort to refresh the party's roster.

The decision, reportedly influenced by the recent failure to pass a conscription exemption law for yeshiva students, comes from the leadership of the Lithuanian Haredi public, currently represented by Rabbi Dov Lando. Rabbi Lando's office issued a statement thanking Gafni and Maklev for their service, particularly their "struggle for the status of yeshiva students," and cited the need for "renewal among Knesset members" to make way for new representatives.

Yaakov Asher, former mayor of Bnei Brak and a figure considered close to Rabbi Lando and the late Rabbi Steinman, has been appointed the new chairman of Degel HaTorah. He will also serve as the chairman of the unified United Torah Judaism party, a position that rotates between Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael. Asher is reportedly being considered for a ministerial role, a first for Degel HaTorah, which has historically held only committee chairmanships and deputy minister positions.

The party is also considering several new candidates for the Knesset list, including Menachem Shapira, deputy mayor of Bnei Brak; Yaakov Gutterman, mayor of Modi'in Illit; Lazar Rauchberger, deputy mayor of Jerusalem; and Miki Alper, chairman of the Degel HaTorah faction in Haifa. Other potential candidates include Dudi Zaltz, deputy mayor of Beitar Illit; Rabbi Moshe Rosenthal, head of the Bnei Brak education administration; and Moishe Zlotchinsky, deputy chairman of the Jerusalem Religious Council.