Coalition crisis deepens as Gafni skips leaders’ meeting

Coalition leaders are set to meet Tuesday evening in an effort to agree on a mutually acceptable election date, but the dispute with the ultra-Orthodox parties is intensifying in the background.

MK Moshe Gafni, chairman of Degel HaTorah, said he does not intend to attend the meeting. His position is that United Torah Judaism is no longer part of the coalition.

Shas had not yet made a final decision on whether to join the discussion. That leaves open the possibility that the gathering, which was meant to show coalition unity, will instead take place in a very limited format.

If so, the meeting may include only Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich, and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir.