Degel HaTorah Launches Election Campaign, Calls for Unity

The Degel HaTorah faction of the United Torah Judaism party launched its election campaign on Saturday night under the slogan "The Right to Be Haredi." The event, held at Kibbutz Hafetz Haim, was attended by representatives of the Lithuanian Haredi faction in local authorities, including MK Moshe Gafni, who was recently removed from the top spot on the faction's list.

Yakov Asher, the new leader of Degel HaTorah appointed by Rabbi Dov Lando, praised Gafni as a "great symbol of appreciation and admiration" and suggested that if Gafni were not Haredi, he would have been prime minister long ago. Asher also addressed the party's relationship with coalition partners, stating that while figures like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir spoke nicely, they ultimately prioritized their own constituents, not the Haredi public.

Asher drew a parallel to the opposition bloc, noting that despite internal animosity among leaders like Gantz, Lapid, and Lieberman, they had formed an agreement not to attack each other to achieve their goals. "We need to learn from them," Asher urged, calling for unity within the Haredi community and emphasizing the need to understand how the media works with unified groups seeking political change.

Moshe Gafni, who remains chairman of Degel HaTorah's national movement, commented on his demotion, stating that the party follows Torah dictates, even when political alignments seem reversed. He defended his political legacy by highlighting his role in preventing Smotrich's dairy reform, which he claimed would have bankrupted thousands.