Ultra-Orthodox Voters Remain Loyal to Established Party Despite Leadership Changes

Despite significant leadership changes within the United Torah Judaism party, including the ousting of Moshe Gafni after 33 years, ultra-Orthodox voting patterns in Israel appear largely unchanged, according to recent polls. The established party is still projected to win between seven and eight Knesset seats in the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, a new party, "The Ultra-Orthodox Public," led by Moti Leitner, which aims to represent a positive change and challenge the "old, disconnected leadership," is failing to surpass the electoral threshold. Leitner's platform criticizes the existing leadership for neglecting and undermining tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox individuals.

Leitner's initiative is described as admirable and his criticisms of the established ultra-Orthodox leadership as accurate and refreshing. However, his party's inability to gain traction in the polls suggests a disconnect between the desire for change and actual voting behavior within the community.

The article suggests that the ultra-Orthodox public is experiencing a profound shift, referencing a Talmudic concept of a time when "truth is absent." Despite the emergence of new political challenges and criticisms of the status quo, the majority of ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic voters are expected to continue their support for United Torah Judaism, which has become synonymous with failure in recent years according to the author.