United Torah Judaism Crisis Deepens as MK Israel Eichler Faces Ousting
United Torah Judaism faces a major shakeup as veteran MK Israel Eichler faces potential removal from the Knesset list. This follows the sudden ousting of faction leaders Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev by Rabbi Dov Lando.
The political storm within the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party continues to intensify, as another veteran Member of Knesset faces potential exclusion from the candidate list for the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. Israel Eichler, who has served as an MK for two separate periods since 2003, totaling 17 years in parliament, may be replaced.
Party officials are considering replacing Eichler with Elyakim Stark, the chairman of the executive committee of the Belz Hasidic dynasty. Stark is widely regarded as the most powerful figure within the dynasty, maintaining extensive connections with Jewish communities and leaders worldwide. He has also been active in protests against the arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders and was arrested during a demonstration in May.
Internal Pushback and the Gafni Precedent
The move to insert Stark into the party list has not yet been finalized and could face significant obstacles due to the intense backlash surrounding the recent ousting of faction leader Moshe Gafni and MK Uri Maklev.
On Sunday, the spiritual leader of the non-Hasidic Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community, Rabbi Dov Lando, sent personal letters to MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev. He informed them that as part of a leadership renewal within the Degel HaTorah faction, both would step down from the Knesset to make room for new representatives. However, Rabbi Lando requested that Gafni continue serving as the chairman of the national movement.
Shock and Criticism Over Oustings
The decision to remove Gafni and Maklev from the upcoming Knesset list caught their close associates completely by surprise. Until just days ago, both lawmakers believed they had successfully blocked the reshuffle and that the current slate would remain intact.
Sources close to the two politicians have criticized the secretive manner in which the move was orchestrated, claiming it was planned behind the scenes while Gafni and Maklev were convinced the danger had passed:
"They simply did not realize where things were heading until the very last moment. Had they understood beforehand that the decision was already finalized, the reality would look very different."
The elections for the 26th Knesset are scheduled to take place on October 27, 2026.
