After Degel’s Exit from the Government, Gafni Demands Eichler Resign to Make Way for Pindrus

In the wake of Degel HaTorah’s resignation from ministerial positions following instructions from Rav Dov Landau due to the government’s failure to advance the draft law, internal political tensions within United Torah Judaism have now come to a head.

With Degel HaTorah no longer holding government roles, MKs Yitzchok Pindrus and Eliyahu Baruchi, along with Agudas Yisroel’s Shimon Roit, effectively lost their Knesset seats under the Norwegian Law.

Now, in a letter sent Wednesday morning to Agudas Yisroel, MK Moshe Gafni, chairman of Degel HaTorah, is demanding that the longstanding rotation agreement between the factions be honored. Specifically, he is calling for MK Yisroel Eichler of the Belz faction—currently the last remaining Agudah MK under the UTJ list—to step down and allow Pindrus, next in line on the Degel slate, to return to the Knesset.

Eichler, who only two weeks ago was appointed Minister of Housing in place of fellow Agudah MK Yitzchok Goldknopf, is now being asked to relinquish his seat due to the earlier agreement signed between the parties.

In his letter, Gafni cites Clause 3 of the rotation agreement, which covers the arrangement for the joint UTJ list for the 21st and 25th Knesset elections. According to the agreement, in the event that the joint list receives an odd number of mandates, the last MK from the faction holding the odd-numbered spots is required to resign after two years in order to allow for rotation.

“This clause,” Gafni continues, “does not apply if the Norwegian Law is in effect or if, at the designated time, there are more sitting MKs from the faction holding the even-numbered spots. However, if a minister or deputy minister returns to the Knesset after resigning under the Norwegian Law, the rotation must still be carried out—either at the original deadline or upon their return, whichever comes later.”

Gafni adds that “any candidate holding an odd-numbered slot up to the tenth spot is obligated to fulfill the rotation as signed. It is known that the rotation did not take place at the time specified due to the Norwegian Law. However, now, with the coalition exit and the resignation of ministers and deputy ministers, the time has come to implement the agreement.”

It remains to be seen whether Agudas Yisroel and MK Eichler will comply with Degel’s demand.

{Matzav.com Israel}