Degel HaTorah considers replacing veteran MKs Gafni and Maklev

The Degel HaTorah party is considering significant changes to its candidate list for the Knesset. According to reports, party leaders Rabbi Dov Lando and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch are weighing the possibility of replacing veteran representatives Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev.

The discussions regarding a potential leadership refresh are reportedly driven by the party's recent perceived failures, specifically regarding the draft law for Haredi yeshiva students. A change in the list is seen by some within the party as a way to inject much-needed energy into the political movement.

If the veteran MKs are replaced, MK Yaakov Asher is expected to emerge as a more prominent political figure, though this shift may influence the internal balance of power between the factions surrounding Rabbi Lando and Rabbi Hirsch. Potential candidates mentioned to fill the vacancies include Moshe Zaloshinsky, Dudi Zalts, Eliezer Raukhberger, and Menachem Shapira. Representatives for Gafni and Maklev have downplayed the reports, suggesting these are routine discussions that occur during list closures.