Gur Hassidic Group Threatens Boycott of United Torah Judaism Party
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
The Gur Hasidic group, a major faction within the United Torah Judaism party, is threatening to boycott the upcoming elections if their demands regarding the distribution of future government roles are not met. The dispute arose from a technical split within Agudat Yisrael, impacting the standing of Gur's representative, Yitzhak Goldknopf. Gur leaders suspect a coordinated effort to sideline Goldknopf and insist on resolving the issue of positions before the election. If their demands are not met, Gur may issue a quiet directive for followers to vote for the "Black Color" party, which seeks an exemption from IDF service for the ultra-Orthodox.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- The Gur Hasidic group threatens to boycott the United Torah Judaism party in upcoming elections.
- Gur demands resolution of future government role distribution before the election.
- A technical split within Agudat Yisrael has impacted Gur's representative Yitzhak Goldknopf.
- Gur suspects a coordinated effort to sideline Goldknopf from significant positions.
- If demands aren't met, Gur may direct followers to vote for the "Black Color" party.
- The "Black Color" party advocates for IDF service exemption for the ultra-Orthodox.
The Gur Hasidic dynasty, the largest faction within the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, is threatening to withhold its votes from the party in the upcoming elections, according to a report. The group, estimated to hold the balance of one Knesset seat, has not yet issued a directive from its Rebbe to vote for the UTJ list, nor has it established election headquarters. Their representative, Yitzhak Goldknopf, who is second on the list, is reportedly not appearing at any election events.
The dispute stems from a last-minute split within the Agudat Yisrael party, a component of UTJ. Representatives Meir Porush and Eliyahu Stark from the Belz Hasidic sect have technically formed a new party that is now affiliated with the UTJ list. This move means Goldknopf, who previously led the entire UTJ slate, would become a single-member faction in the next Knesset. Gur leaders believe this will negatively impact the distribution of future government roles and positions.
Typically, the allocation of roles is settled before party lists are finalized, but this has not occurred this time. Senior figures within the Gur community suspect a coordinated effort between Porush and Stark to sideline Goldknopf from any significant position. Gur is demanding that the issue of role distribution be resolved before the elections, or they will not issue a directive to vote for UTJ.
Gur representatives stated that their followers will vote regardless, and if not for UTJ, a quiet directive might be issued to vote for the "Black Color" party, which advocates for a blanket exemption from IDF service for all ultra-Orthodox men, a goal also sought by the Gur Rebbe. The report recalled the 2008 Jerusalem mayoral election, where Gur, due to internal disagreements, supported secular candidate Nir Barkat over the agreed-upon ultra-Orthodox candidate, despite significant criticism from within the sector.
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