Haredi Political Operatives Caught Running Dual Campaigns for Likud and Rival Parties
Ultra-Orthodox political fixers who previously mobilized voters in Likud primaries are now managing election campaigns for Haredi parties, exploiting legal loopholes to maintain dual political affiliations.
Ultra-Orthodox political fixers who mobilized voters during the recent Likud primaries are now actively working for Haredi parties ahead of the Knesset elections. These operatives recruited numerous Haredi members to Likud and distributed pre-filled recommendation lists at polling stations. On paper, they bypass the Parties Law since Haredi factions do not hold mass registrations or collect membership fees, maintaining formal Likud membership while driving campaigns for rivals.
Prominent figures include Aharon Alboym, a Belz Hasid and Likud Central Committee member who also serves as Bnei Brak Deputy Mayor for Agudat Israel. Alboym was filmed handing out recommendation lists at Binyanei HaUma and now manages Agudat Israel's field headquarters. Similarly, Eliezer Lutkin holds dual registration as a Likud Central Committee member and a Knesset candidate for United Torah Judaism, while managing community headquarters in Jerusalem. Additional operatives like Uzi Shalom, Yonatan Radner, and Yisrael Glantz operate across Bnei Brak, Beitar Illit, Haifa, and Rehovot.
Shas is also involved, with Bnei Brak Deputy Mayor Nir Ariel having participated in Likud primaries before appearing in Shas campaign videos alongside MK Yossi Tayeb. Likud municipal faction head Yaakov Wieder and resident Udi Tenenbaum sharply criticized the dual affiliation, calling it an absurd subversion of Israel's ruling party that requires immediate legislative reform. Responding fixers defended their pragmatic community advocacy, emphasizing efforts to secure resources and youth engagement for their constituents.
