One of the main speakers scheduled to appear in the Hamodia Economic Conference that opens Sunday in Airport City is MK Moshe Gafne, who is chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee. It appears that senior officials in the Degel Hatorah faction of Yahadut Hatorah are speaking about canceling their participation in the event, which is viewed as the main economic event in the chareidi community.

According to reports, tensions are mounting between Gafne and Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the Agudas Yisrael faction, having to do with Minister Naftali Bennet’s recent meeting with US Reform Jewry leaders. Gafne wants to take a more proactive approach while Litzman is making do with a promise from Bennet not to interfere in such matters.

Gafne wants Yahadut Hatorah to prevent Bayit Yehudi from advancing a Basic Law, citing the dati leumi party is weakening the position of PM Netanyahu.

The machlokes between the litvish and chassidic factions of the party have led to Degel, the litvish faction, threatening to boycott the Hamodia annual conference, which is sponsored by the chassidim.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)