Dati-Leumi Parties Plan Joint Run Amid Internal Tensions and Potential Surprises

Ahead of the upcoming elections, the Dati-Leumi parties Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael are likely to run together, but internal discussions reveal significant tensions and strategic maneuvers. Degel HaTorah has seriously considered running separately this time, aiming to increase its influence within a joint list. Despite repeated past attempts to separate, the party has always folded at the last moment to avoid jeopardizing Agudat Yisrael's chances of passing the electoral threshold alone. However, recent frustrations with some Agudat Yisrael members, who have acted independently in the Knesset, have pushed Degel HaTorah to reconsider its approach.

A senior Degel HaTorah official explained that the current talk of a separate run is partly a negotiation tactic to secure better positions for their four sitting Knesset members. The plan would allow other factions within Agudat Yisrael to join from the fifth spot onward, proving their electoral strength. This strategy also tests the Hasidic factions' voter turnout, which has historically been less disciplined compared to the Lithuanian (Litvish) community, which follows rabbinic leadership more strictly.

Within Degel HaTorah, some members dismiss the separation talk as mere posturing, expecting a joint run to prevail and urging focus on the elections themselves rather than internal power struggles. Meanwhile, party leader Moshe Gafni has instructed opening negotiations with Agudat Yisrael, with party financial official Moshe Shipman set to meet Hasidic representatives soon.

On the Hasidic side, tensions simmer beneath the surface, especially between the Shlomi Emunim and Belz factions versus the Gur Hasidim, involving financial disputes and election preparations. Despite fierce rivalries, the Hasidic groups have discussed running together, with the Gur Rebbe likely to keep Knesset member Yitzhak Goldknopf and his close aide Moti Babchik in their current roles.

This evolving dynamic highlights the complex interplay of political strategy, factional interests, and religious leadership within Israel's ultra-Orthodox political landscape as the elections approach.