Veteran Haredi MK Moshe Gafni Not Running for Knesset
Translated & summarized from Zman Yisrael by baba
Veteran Israeli lawmaker Moshe Gafni will not seek re-election to the Knesset in 2026. The decision comes after Rabbi Dov Lando announced that Gafni and another MK would not be placed on the Degel HaTorah party list, citing a need for renewal.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Moshe Gafni will not run in the 2026 Knesset elections.
- Rabbi Dov Lando decided Gafni and Uri Maklev would not be on the party list.
- Gafni served multiple terms as chairman of the Finance Committee.
- Degel HaTorah withdrew from the coalition in July 2025.
- Yaakov Asher is listed first on the Degel HaTorah slate.
Moshe Gafni, the longest-serving Member of Knesset and a leading figure in the Degel HaTorah party, will not run in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections scheduled for October 27, 2026. Rabbi Dov Lando announced on September 5, 2026, that Gafni and fellow MK Uri Maklev would not be included in the party's list for the election, citing a need for renewal among Knesset members. Rabbi Lando requested Gafni to continue serving as the chairman of Degel HaTorah's national movement.
Gafni, who was first elected to the Knesset in 1988, has a long parliamentary career, including multiple terms as chairman of the powerful Finance Committee since 2009. He resigned from the committee chairmanship in July 2025 when Degel HaTorah withdrew from the government and coalition over the conscription law, with Likud MK Hanoch Milwidsky taking over the post. Gafni will continue to serve as a Member of Knesset until the election.
Throughout his career, Gafni has been a prominent voice on issues concerning the Haredi community and has held various significant roles, including Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs and chairman of the Interior and Environment Committee. He has also been a vocal critic of the judicial system, particularly the Supreme Court (Bagatz), and has engaged in numerous political disputes and public statements on a wide range of issues, from the war in Gaza to coalition funding and the conscription of yeshiva students.
The Degel HaTorah list for the upcoming election, submitted to the election committee, places MK Yaakov Asher of Degel HaTorah in the first position. Gafni's departure from the electoral list follows a period of political maneuvering and public statements regarding his party's coalition status and his own future political role.