Who Will Replace Litzman in the Knesset? Matzav Takes a Look at Several Candidates

Knesset Member Yaakov Litzman announced this week that he will not continue for another term in the Knesset. For the first time in 23 years, Ger will have to find a replacement who will take Litzman’s place as a representative of UTJ in the Knesset, one who is almost guaranteed a ministerial position if the chareidim return to power.

The debate over Litzman’s successor will grow as the date of submission of the lists comes closer, and although elections are not in sight, there are already a number of names of potential candidates who may take Litzman’s place.

Chanoch Zeibert:

Zeibert is currently views as #2 in Ger. In practice, he serves as deputy and acting mayor of Bnei Brak, and is expected to return to the position of mayor under the rotation agreement.

Zeibert is well known in the corridors of the political system.

The possibility that Zeibert will take Litzman’s place is high.

Yitzhcak Shapira:

Shapira is known for his father, Monia Shapira, who previously served as Ger’s representative in the Knesset. He has a British passport under his name, and it is not certain that he will agree to give it up in favor of a term as an MK.

Shapira is a regular visitor to the residence of the Rebbe of Ger, and his name even came up about a year ago as someone who may serve on behalf of the Chassidim as Minister of Housing, in the days when Itzik Cohen retired unexpectedly and Litzman did not receive permission to return to serve as a minister.

Motti Bebchik:

Bebchik has been with Litzman for many years, and is well known in the political arena. “Where in Bebchik?” Netanyahu famously asked one time, complimenting Litzman’s assistant and right-hand man. Since then, he has stood out on several occasions as someone who goes beyond what is sometimes described as an ‘assistant’, and as someone who is known to make connections in the offices of the various ministers and maintains personal contact with senior members of the political system.

Bebchik has an advantage over the other candidates thanks to his familiarity with the Knesset, government ministries and the corridors of the political system. It is possible that his age will be a factor, since Ger will want to appoint more veteran representatives at this stage.

Eliyahu Chossid:

Chossid served during the previous Knesset as a Knesset member for a short period, when he entered under the Norwegian law. But then, Litzman returned for the second time to the position of minister in the Ministry of Housing, and following allegations of an imbalance between Agudas Yisroel and Degel HaTorah, Chossid was forced to resign in favor of Eliyahu Bruchi, who returned to the Knesset for a short time until the 24^th Knesset elections.

Chossid returned to his previous position as director of Yeshiva Imrei Emes in Bnei Brak, but recently reentered the political arena and was assigned to the position of a member of Ger’s political committee, which was recently established and is preparing for the local elections. Chossid has already been defined as Litzman’s “2nd place,” and was placed after Litzman on the Knesset list. Another option is that if Zeibert leaves his position in Bnei Brak in favor of the Knesset, Chossid could take Zeibert’s place as mayor of Bnei Brak.

Anonymous:

The fifth candidate to succeed Yaakov Litzman is an unfamiliar candidate. We do not know him either. In Ger, there is a known rule: the rule is that there are no rules, and this is the first rule – that this rule is not a rule either. From past experience, we have learned that sometimes, in the moment of truth, anonymous candidates are pulled out of a hat to the public, gaining the trust of the Rebbe of Ger, and in one moment, they become representatives carrying great responsibility.

{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}