Gerrer Hasidim Withhold Support for United Torah Judaism Ahead of Elections

Two weeks before the elections, the largest Hasidic community in Israel, the Gerrer Hasidim, has not yet called on its supporters to vote for the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party. Amidst an internal rift within the community, there is discussion about maintaining this stance to prevent the election of a representative from another Hasidic movement. This situation threatens to cost the party approximately 30,000 votes. The Gerrer community believes their own representative, Yitzhak Goldknopf, who is second on the list, will be elected to the Knesset even without additional voter mobilization. However, the community's votes could secure a mandate for Eliezer Stark, a representative of the Belz Hasidim, whose election the Gerrer community does not wish to support without prior agreements.

The conflict stems from a split within the Agudat Yisrael party, the Hasidic component of UTJ. Hours before the candidate lists were submitted, Meir Porush, a representative of the Shlomei Emunim faction, and Stark, a Belz representative, left Agudat Yisrael to form a new party within the broader union called Torat Chaim Israel. They are listed fourth and sixth on the ballot, respectively. This move ostensibly freed Porush and Stark from their obligations to Agudat Yisrael, particularly its Council of Torah Sages. The Gerrer faction objects to this.

A source within the community stated that the Gerrer faction commands about 30,000 voters, whose votes could contribute one to one-and-a-half Knesset seats. The source explained that Goldknopf is assured of election, and additional support would help Stark, who left Agudat Yisrael and is not subordinate to its council. Currently, Gerrer representatives are negotiating for agreements on the distribution of positions before the elections. An alternative is to continue their silence and not urge supporters to vote.

This unusual situation is drawing criticism within UTJ. The newspaper "HaModia," the Gerrer organ, has not published election materials or a call from Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter to support the list, unlike in previous elections when such appeals were actively published weeks in advance. Initially, the Gerrer faction explained that a campaign was unnecessary, as the Rabbi would announce who to vote for on election day and be obeyed. However, there are concerns that a delayed call might be perceived as less binding by some Hasidim.

Gerrer traditionally receives the first position among Agudat Yisrael representatives and the highest-ranking position allocated to UTJ. Now, Agudat Yisrael is demanding agreements with the Lithuanian party Degel HaTorah, another component of the UTJ bloc, regarding the positions of Porush and Stark. Another demand is that in future elections, negotiations between Degel HaTorah and Torat Chaim Israel will not occur until the new party rejoins Agudat Yisrael. Stark, considered an influential figure among the Belz Hasidim, became a candidate following a decision by the community's leader, replacing Yisrael Eichler, who had served in the Knesset almost continuously since 2003 and currently holds the position of Deputy Minister of Communications.