Historic Shake-Up in Degel HaTorah: Party Leaders Ousted Amid Power Struggle

In a significant political upheaval within the Haredi party Degel HaTorah, veteran lawmakers Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev were ousted overnight by Rabbi Dov Landau, the party's leading figure. This move creates two vacancies on the party's list, expected to be filled by Moshe Rosenthal, director of the Bnei Brak education administration, and Dudi Zaltz, deputy mayor of Beitar Illit. Other potential candidates await approval from Rabbis Landau and Hirsch.

The maneuver was reportedly orchestrated over several months by Lithuanian activist David Shapira, who has controlled the newspaper "Yated Ne'eman" for 14 years. Shapira's aim was to seize control of the party's power structures, arranging for his associate, MK Yaakov Asher, to head the party, replacing Gafni and Maklev, who have served for decades. The stated justification for their removal was their failure to secure draft exemptions for yeshiva students during the previous Netanyahu government. However, sources within Degel HaTorah suggest this is Shapira's final move to consolidate his control.

Gafni and Maklev's supporters attempted to prevent the ouster by seeking a public statement against it from the party's Council of Torah Sages, but were unsuccessful, largely due to Rabbi Landau's significant influence over Lithuanian politics. Veteran party activists also voiced opposition, with one, Aba Turchinsky, expressing fears that Degel HaTorah is becoming a thing of the past.

Conversely, Shapira's allies argue that Gafni and Maklev's long tenure necessitates a "refreshment of the list" to achieve electoral victory. The upheaval has stirred the Haredi political landscape, potentially impacting its traditional alignment with the right-wing bloc. MK Asher has previously criticized Netanyahu and the coalition, and other prominent figures, including Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef of Shas, have also expressed strong opposition to Netanyahu. Despite these internal shifts and overtures to the opposition, the future alignment of Haredi parties following the election results remains uncertain, depending on what the "change bloc" may offer.