Internal Rebellion Exposed in Degel HaTorah Party After Ousting of Veteran Lawmakers

Internal Rebellion and Spiritual Authority

A major political drama has unfolded within the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox party Degel HaTorah, following the dramatic ousting of its veteran Knesset members. A detailed article published in the official party newspaper under the headline "We Cannot Restrain Our Words" has exposed severe internal tensions and an attempted "rebellion" by operational staff against the movement's spiritual leadership.

According to the publication, the sweeping reshuffle led by the leader of the Lithuanian non-Hasidic stream, Rabbi Dov Lando, was originally intended to be far more radical. The leadership initially considered a complete overhaul of the party list, replacing all sitting representatives with new faces. However, due to professional considerations and the ongoing "state of emergency" surrounding the military draft law, it was decided to retain some experienced lawmakers and replace only the most senior veterans, Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev.

Accusations of Betrayal and PR Manipulation

The core of the conflict centered on a confrontation with the parliamentary aides of the outgoing lawmakers. The party newspaper launched an unprecedented attack against these aides, accusing them of attempting to sabotage the decisions of the Torah Sages through "PR operations" and deliberate leaks to the media. The publication charged that the aides "spat into the well from which they drink" and used manipulative tactics to portray the spiritual leadership as disconnected from the grassroots.

According to the report, these close associates tried to frame the leadership transition as a "humiliation," even though the lawmakers themselves accepted the decision with humility. When these efforts escalated into an "orchestrated and insolent" media campaign, Rabbi Dov Lando ruled that the situation had to be cut short immediately. He dispatched personal messengers to notify the representatives of the termination of their roles to prevent further manipulation.

The End of the Independent Aide Era

In the wake of the crisis, Degel HaTorah has decided to implement an unprecedented sanction that will fundamentally alter the party's operations. Starting from the upcoming term, Knesset members will no longer be allowed to independently select their parliamentary aides. Every appointment of an assistant must receive individual approval from the movement's Rabbinical Committee to ensure absolute loyalty to the "Torah perspective" and prevent foreign interests from entering the Knesset corridors.

Following the reshuffle, the new Degel HaTorah list for the 26th Knesset has been finalized. Yaakov Asher will head the list, followed by Yitzhak Pindrus, Moshe Rosenthal, Yehuda Weisfish, and David Zalz. This move, executed under the banner of protecting the "soul of our existence"—the Torah world—aims to ensure unified ranks ahead of the complex parliamentary battles awaiting the ultra-Orthodox sector.