Ger Hasidic Dynasty Threatens Election Boycott Over Internal Dispute
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
The Ger Hasidic dynasty, Israel's largest, is considering withholding its election voting directive due to an internal dispute within the Agudat Yisrael party. This follows the departure of Meir Porush and Elikim Stark to form a new faction, impacting their placement on the United Torah Judaism list. Ger, with about 30,000 voters, may leverage this to influence negotiations over roles and prevent Stark's election. The dynasty is currently in talks to resolve the conflict before the upcoming elections.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The Ger Hasidic dynasty is threatening to withhold its election voting directive due to internal party disputes.
- Two key figures, Meir Porush and Elikim Stark, recently left Agudat Yisrael to form a new faction.
- Ger, representing about 30,000 voters, may use this tactic to influence negotiations and prevent Stark's election.
- The dynasty has not yet issued its usual pre-election voting call, which is considered unusual.
- Ger is currently in negotiations to reach agreements on role distribution before the elections.
Two weeks before elections, the Ger Hasidic dynasty, the largest in Israel, is reportedly considering not calling on its members to vote, due to an internal dispute within the Agudat Yisrael party. Ger, which traditionally holds a senior position in Agudat Yisrael and a top spot in the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) list, has not yet issued any election directives. This is unusual, as calls to vote for the party are typically made weeks in advance by the Rebbe.
The current situation stems from a rift within Agudat Yisrael, where representatives Meir Porush and Elikim Stark recently left the party to form a new faction within UTJ called "Torat Chomat Yisrael." Porush and Stark are now placed at numbers 4 and 6 on the UTJ list, respectively.
Sources within Ger suggest that by withholding their voting directive, they could prevent Stark from being elected to the Knesset, as Ger accounts for approximately 30,000 eligible voters. A Ger official stated that "Goldknopf is entering anyway, our representative is number 2 so he is in," implying that their own candidate is secured regardless of Ger's bloc.
Ger is currently in negotiations to resolve these issues and secure agreements on the division of roles before the elections. If no agreement is reached, they may continue to withhold their voting directive, potentially costing the party one to one-and-a-half mandates. Agudat Yisrael is demanding understandings with the Lithuanian Degel HaTorah party regarding the positions of Porush and Stark, and insists that in future elections, no negotiations occur between Degel HaTorah and Torat Chomat Yisrael until the latter rejoins Agudat Yisrael.
While some believe a late voting directive might be less influential, the prevailing assessment is that Ger will ultimately instruct its followers to vote, but only after reaching agreements on role distribution to avoid future conflicts. The Rebbe of Belz had appointed Stark, a key figure in the community, to the list, replacing Yisrael Eichler, who has served in the Knesset almost continuously since 2003.
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