Overview
- Rabbi Dov Landau confirmed late Saturday that longtime MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev were told they will not appear on Degel HaTorah’s Knesset slate, ending Gafni’s 38‑year parliamentary run.
- The decision installs Yaakov Asher as the expected parliamentary leader for Degel HaTorah and is framed by rabbinic sources as a deliberate generational renewal driven by frustration over the failed yeshiva draft‑exemption bill.
- Reports show the change was conveyed through personal letters and intense talks between the homes of senior rabbis, with some names for new slots still under negotiation ahead of Tuesday’s filing deadline.
- Across the political map, parties are rushing last‑minute mergers and slate adjustments to avoid the 3.25 percent threshold, and recent Kan/Kantar polls show several small lists hovering near that cutoff in ways that can swing bloc totals.
- Secular outlets emphasize the electoral arithmetic and poll volatility while Haredi and community media emphasize rabbinic authority and the draft‑law backlash, a split that highlights both human and political stakes for voters and coalition bargaining.