Yaakov Asher to Replace Moshe Gafni as Head of United Torah Judaism
In a major political shakeup, MK Yaakov Asher will replace Moshe Gafni as the leader of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party. The decision, backed by Rabbi Dov Lando, comes amid ongoing disputes over the military draft law.
A major political shakeup in the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party has left long-time chairman Moshe Gafni off the electoral list, with MK Yaakov Asher set to take his place as the head of the united faction.
Asher, a former mayor of Bnei Brak and council member in Elad, has served as a member of the Knesset since February 2013. He previously chaired the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, as well as the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee. He resigned from his last post when UTJ members withdrew from all coalition positions to protest the government's failure to secure military draft exemptions for yeshiva students.
Rabbi Lando's Influence and Strategic Shift
Asher is considered highly trusted by the household of Rabbi Dov Lando, the current leader of the non-Hasidic Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community. In recent months, Rabbi Lando’s circle sought to refresh the party's lineup following the failure of the enlistment bill, aiming to present new faces to voters and deepen the spiritual leadership's influence over the faction.
Rabbi Lando recently declared that the party is no longer automatically committed to the right-wing bloc. Speaking at a conference hosted by ynet and Yediot Ahronot on Wednesday, Asher echoed this pragmatic approach:
"Anyone who wants comfortable coalition partners who do not want to take their seat or replace them, and who wants a stable government, will have to sit with us. I have no problem sitting with Gadi Eisenkot. You always ask about Bibi, and I tell you: I am ready to sit with anyone."
In an interview with ynet last July, Asher argued that securing a draft exemption bill would actually be easier in a government not led by Benjamin Netanyahu. He claimed that the opposition and legal advisors would have approved any draft law had it been tied to Netanyahu stepping down.
Coalition Demands and Ministerial Ambitions
Asher himself served briefly in the IDF reserves after enlisting through a specialized track for older recruits. Over the past year, he served on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where he lobbied on behalf of yeshiva students, initially supporting full exemptions and later leading efforts to freeze the arrests of draft-evaders.
Currently, the Lithuanian Degel HaTorah and Hasidic Agudat Yisrael factions are engaged in intense negotiations to finalize their joint list for the Knesset.
For the first time, Degel HaTorah is considering requesting rabbinical approval to accept full ministerial portfolios. Historically, the Lithuanian faction refused cabinet seats to avoid collective responsibility for government actions violating the Sabbath. Now, they are eyeing the top spot on the joint list and the most senior cabinet positions, which were previously conceded to their Hasidic partners.
