With election fever in the air, there is much backroom activity among Knesset factions, including the chareidi parties. In what is being called a very preliminary effort, all chareidi parties are entertaining a combined list, Degel Hatorah, Agudas Yisrael and Shas running under a united banner. While such a reality is a long way off at best, it could result in the chareidi parties swinging enough political might to influence the next coalition. Based on today’s numbers, such a combination would result in 18 seats. In addition, if joined together it is almost guaranteed the outcome would be higher.
Needless to say the question remains if such a union is tenable. The current Yahadut Hatorah party which is composed of Degel and Agudah barely manages to live with one another on the best of days, but all said and done the MKs from the litvish and chassidic parties have realized the combined tickets results in a minimum of an additional seat, possibly two and therefore they tolerate one another.
Despite the rumors Degel Hatorah’s Moshe Gafne tells the media there is no truth that such a possibility being considered. Kikar Shabbos adds that when it turned to Shas officials for a response to the rumors, officials declined comment.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
all chareidi parties are entertaining a combined list, Degel Hatorah, Agudas Yisrael and Shas Apart from Achdus issue which is not our job to address, but if all the religious would combine, they theoretically could be the largest party, and perhaps aspire to Prime Minister job, in capacity of largest single party.
It will save SHAS from losing its bottom & not sure it will benefit UTJ..
Let’s improve ourselves so that we will deserve proper MANHIGIM.
this unprecedented achdus will surely bring Moshiach
in gimatria:
דגל התורה ושס ואגודה = משיח כבר בא במהרה בימינו אמן
Also team up with הבית היהודי and משיח comes!!!
not sure it will benefit UTJ
also every party has some voters who only vote for them specifically because they are independent of others
IMHO :
Gimel won’t lose . It’s voter base is solid, only grows with population growth.
(will only gain that the additional votes can add to a seat with shas’ extras)
Shas, on the other hand might lose.
Reason being, Shas has a large number of voters who don’t identify themselves as being “chareidi” rather their reason for voting shas is due to their sefaradi identity. If Shas were to unite with Gimel, it would be a Party defined exclusively by its chareidi factor.
The reason why Rav Shach tz”l supported the opening of Shas was for this reason.
As long as Degel ha-Torah and Agudas Yisrael remain united, any further mergers don’t make any difference. The requirement is for a four seat faction, and Shas will comfortably get that regardless of alliances. However Shas has in the past received much non-hareidi support and that might be jeapordized if they ran in a list with the Ashkenazi hareidi parties. Under the Israeli system, parties need to run on combined lists only if some of them would fall below the threshold (to be four seats), or if they want to aspire to “win” the election and form a government (and that isn’t likely for the haredim for at least another generation – they would need to be aiming for 30+ seats).
i thought of this idea long ago, and based on the infighting of eachs own party, i dont think its possible at the current stage
#4 Foolish
Perhaps if they team up together with the Tekuma faction of הבית היהודי
But to team up with Bennet’s הבית היהודי and משיח will be further away! Guarenteed!!
Have no fear: Talmidei Chachomim Marbim Sholom…. 🙂