The big crisis in Yahadut HaTorah that could cost it mandates

The internal crisis in Yahadut HaTorah is intensifying: the Gur Hasidic sect is considering not mobilizing for the party's election efforts, amid accumulated anger toward Degel HaTorah in the last term. The party fears losing thousands of votes. Yahadut HaTorah chairman, MK Yaakov Asher, will meet today with Yitzhak Goldknopf in an attempt to mediate.

The internal crisis in Yahadut HaTorah is escalating ahead of the elections, and the party fears that the tension between the Gur Hasidic sect and Degel HaTorah will translate into a loss of thousands of votes. At the heart of the crisis is the anger accumulated in the Gur Hasidic sect over the last term, following Agudat Yisrael's departure from the coalition over the conscription law and the budget, while Degel HaTorah signaled that they could continue without them. Now, the Gur Hasidic sect is considering an "Italian strike" — non-mobilization for Yahadut HaTorah's election effort, a move that could harm the party's electoral strength. The concern is not negligible: according to reports, the Gur Hasidic sect has not yet shown significant mobilization for the election campaign, and its strength is estimated at tens of thousands of votes. In an attempt to prevent the crisis from worsening, Yahadut HaTorah chairman, MK Yaakov Asher, will meet today with Agudat Yisrael chairman, Yitzhak Goldknopf.