Radical Faction Slams 'Degel HaTorah' Leadership Over MKs' Ouster

The ultra-Orthodox faction 'HaPleg' has sharply criticized the leadership of the Lithuanian political party 'Degel HaTorah' following the dramatic removal of Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev from senior positions within the party. 'HaPeles', the newspaper of the radical 'Jerusalem Faction' (HaPleg HaYerushalmi), published a scathing editorial condemning the move as "mafia-like methods and public humiliation."

The editorial, titled "Men of Blood and Deceit," described the ouster of Gafni and Maklev as a brutal and public act, continuing a pattern of political assassinations driven by internal interests. It asserted that while the individuals removed are new, the method is not, accusing shadowy figures of adopting this practice as routine to eliminate well-functioning representatives due to loyalty-based, mafia-style conflicts.

'HaPeles' further argued that the Lithuanian political framework has devolved into internal corruption and power struggles, causing a terrible desecration of God's name in the eyes of the general public. The article reviewed historical conflicts within the Lithuanian camp, characterizing the takeover of movement institutions by new elements as a "campaign of terror and persecution against rabbis and institutions."

The newspaper interpreted the removal of Gafni and Maklev symbolically, suggesting it aimed to erase the memory of the historical 'Degel HaTorah'. Gafni, a representative since the movement's founding by Rabbi Shach, and Maklev, a confidant of Rabbi Elyashiv, were seen as symbols the political establishment could not tolerate. The editorial concluded by expressing solidarity with 'Degel HaTorah' voters, acknowledging their pain, insult, and humiliation over the removal of these veteran figures.