Tzoros For Degel Hatorah In Modi’in Illit – Is The Party Crumbling In The Litvish City?

Degel Hatorah is still working to cut deals in a number of cities ahead of municipal elections, however, all is not going as party officials would like. In Modi’in Illit, the Degel branch has split, with some backing Mayor Yaakov Gutterman and some are now his opponents. In fact, Degel has split three ways.

In Modi’in Illit, representatives of Brechfeld from Degel Hatorah; Avraham Weiss and Avinoam Shiffman, who are identified with the Degel Brechfeld list, have received a bracha from the neighborhood’s rav, HaGaon HaRav Zikerman ahead of elections.

The list which feared was going to be rejected due to the split into a group opposing Mayor Gutterman, was quick to announce the establishment of an independent list, which will represent the Brechfeld tzibur. The new list received a bracha from the mora d’asra.

As will be recalled, prior to the local elections, the procedure was that every council member must define in a council meeting his affiliation to any of the factions in the council, in a process called “identification.”

On the day of identification itself, each council member is entitled to declare his membership in any faction, regardless of the faction to which he was elected in the previous elections. The number of faction members derived from the identification process is critical to the continuation of the election process.

But in all the cities where a vote of identification was made, the members identified themselves as appropriate. In Modi’in Illit, Mayor Yaakov Gutterman refused to align with the party’s decision and change from what was accepted in the past, when the party’s representative was Gutterman himself.

There are now three lists. The first is Mayor Gutterman, Moshe Muterprel and Nachum Nitler, comprising the Degel Hatorah Association headed by Gutterman.

The second list is Councilman Yaakov Wallerstein, declaring himself an independent list together with attorney Gronich. Councilmen Ori Yaffa, Mordechai Goldberg, Moshe Shiffman and Avi Weiss align with Degel Hatorah and its leader, Moshe Gafne.

Shas Unofficially Endorses Leon In Jerusalem Mayoral Race

One can only speculate who Shas will officially endorse in the upcoming Jerusalem mayoral race, but it is known that privately, party chairman Minister Aryeh Deri supports candidate Moshe Leon. While Shas has yet to officially announce its support for any of the candidates, Chacham HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Cohen Shlita, head of the Moetzas Gedolei Torah of Shas met with Leon on Monday evening, the eve of 17 Elul, and this all but signals the party will officially back him in the race sooner or later.

The meeting is important for Leon, for in addition to Shas’ backing, he hopes to receive the support of Degel Hatorah as well. Agudas Yisrael will certainly back Yossi Deutsch in the race.

For now, the public waits to see if and when Deri will make an official announcement, but most party loyalists will interpret the meeting between Rav Cohen and Leon as signaling Shas support.

Rabbi Amsellem’s Am Shalem Party Backs Elkin In Jerusalem Mayoral Race

The Am Shalem party headed by Rabbi Chaim Amsellem, has announced it is backing Minister Ze’ev Elkin’s bid to become the next mayor of Jerusalem.

Amsellem, who was ousted from the Shas party, tried entering Knesset via his own party but failed, as his party only received 50,000 votes.

On Sunday evening, Amsellem arrived at the Elkin election headquarters, meeting with the candidate and officially making his announcement, endorsing his election bid. Rabbi Amsellem also affixed a mezuzah at the headquarters during his visit.

Next Chareidi Venue For Election Machlokes – Rechasim

While chareidi parties have yet to agree on candidates in Yerushalayim, Elad, Beit Shemesh or Haifa, the next venue of machlokes and power struggle appears to be Rechasim. It remains to be seen if the current mayor, Yitzchak (Itchi) Reich will honor the rotation agreement with Shas. Shas wishes to place Dan Cohen in the race, but for now, Degel Hatorah objects.

Shas is demanding that Cohen, a former mayor of the city, return as per the agreement, but Degel is saying no for now, insisting Reich will continue. Despite this, in his appearance at a Rechasim event this week, Shas MK Yinon Azoulai mentioned that the city’s next mayor will be Cohen.

PM Netanyahu Calls On Voters To Back Likud In Municipal Elections

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is also the head of the national Likud party, on Monday night, spoke with the persons who hold the first and second slots on the Likud list in the upcoming mayoral elections; attorney Elisha Peleg and Elad Wosner.

They met at a gathering in Kfar Maccabiah, a gathering for Likud delegates from municipal elections lists from around the country.

Mr. Netanyahu called on voters to back the Likud in the upcoming municipal races, telling Peleg, “I certainly back the Likud list, which has the voting letters MACHAL (מחל), for the Jerusalem City Council.

The prime minister added the party is looking for 40 seats on the national level, in the next Knesset elections. At present, Likud has 30 seats.

HaGaon HaRav Avraham Dov Auerbach Is Opposed To Rav Kook’s List In Tiveria Elections

HaGaon HaRav Avraham Dov Auerbach Shlita, Av Beis Din Tiveria, has penned a letter expressing his opposition to the new party launched by Mekubal HaRav Dov Kook, dispelling rumors that he backs the party in the upcoming municipal elections. It appears that achdus is an unachievable concept among chareidi parties in upcoming municipal elections around Israel.

There were calls to rally around a single chareidi candidate in the city, but that achdus was short-lived as reported. Rav Auerbach has since met with and endorsed the Shas list in the city in return for his candidate being in the second-place slot on the Shas list.

There were rumors that Rav Kook met with Rav Auerbach and they decided to join forces, to run under a single united list, but the rav has come out with a clarification, and he is backing the Shas list and not Rav Kook as many believed to have been the case.

The Ongoing Saga Of Degel & Shlomei Negotiations – Next Stop, Arbitration

Members of Degel Hatorah and Shlomei Emunim on Monday, 16 Elul, agreed to head to arbitration should there be any complaints about honoring the agreement signed in the previous term. Degel plans to inform Shlomei Emunim officials that the signed agreements which are in place, must be honored.

Shlomei Emunim is demanding that Degel commits to back a chassidic candidate in the Beit Shemesh mayoral race in the next municipal elections, in five years. In the previous agreement between the Yahadut Hatorah factions, Shlomei Emunim is expected to back a Degel candidate for mayor in the Beit Shemesh mayoral race in the upcoming elections. However, this is not happening since Degel is backing the incumbent, Mayor Moshe Abutbul.

Shlomei Emunim negotiators are not claiming Degel negotiators are backing down from all agreements reached this week, and as a result, they are likely to be heading to arbitration.

Kikar Shabbos News reports Degel officials are explaining that they are not selling out all of their interests for backing in the upcoming Elad elections, and therefore, it is likely that arbitration will be required. That said, Degel officials stress they prefer reaching understandings rather than heading to arbitration.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)