Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel again submitted a joint
Knesset list to the Central Election Committee at the last
minute, and once again chose to use the letter
"Gimmel" on ballot slips. The list for the joint
party, known as United Torah Jewry and Shabbos-Agudas Yisroel
Degel HaTorah, was submitted by Rabbi Avrohom Weber and Rabbi
Moshe Shiffman of Degel HaTorah and Rabbi Shlomo Vidslavsky
and Rabbi Yosef Deutsch of Agudas Yisroel.
This marked the official launch of the campaign to garner the
support of all chareidim ledvar Hashem as well as
other supporters. Recent surveys predict the list will draw 6-
7 mandates, compared to five mandates in the previous
elections.
At the top of the list is Finance Committee Chairman MK Rabbi
Yaakov Litzman (Agudas Yisroel) followed by Welfare Deputy
Minister Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz (Degel HaTorah). The third spot
goes to MK Rabbi Meir Porush (Agudas Yisroel), fourth to
Degel HaTorah Secretary MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, fifth to Deputy
Transportation Minister MK Rabbi Shmuel Halpert (Agudas
Yisroel), sixth to Rabbi Yaakov Cohen (Agudas Yisroel) and
seventh to Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Rabbi Uri Maklev (Degel
HaTorah).
UTJ heads note the list, which received the blessings of
maranan verabonon gedolei Yisroel shlita combines the
leading, most dedicated names in chareidi public service who
have won the confidence of gedolei Torah accepted by
all segments of the chareidi tzibbur, thereby insuring
the unification of all of chareidi Jewry to sanctify the Name
of Heaven borabbim.
During the final days before the list was submitted marathon
meetings were held between representatives of the two parties
after Maran HaRav Eliashiv and HaRav Shteinman instructed
Degel HaTorah representatives to reach an agreement with
Agudas Yisroel to avoid chilul Hashem.
The day before the joint list was submitted, Rabbi Ravitz,
Rabbi Gafni, Rabbi Maklev and Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah
Secretary Rabbi Avrohom Rubinstein paid a visit to Maran
HaRav Eliashiv to present him with the details of the
preliminary agreement reached between Degel HaTorah and
Agudas Yisroel and to ask him for further instructions. Maran
told them to reach agreements regarding the formation of the
joint list in order to avoid machlokes and chilul
Hashem, and offered his blessings for success.
The negotiations were held up because Agudas Yisroel is
comprised of four different factions and when it appeared a
compromise was unattainable the representatives received
instructions from gedolei Yisroel to make every effort
to avoid machlokes and divisiveness. At this point a
rotation agreement was arranged for the sixth spot, in the
event UTJ receives a sixth mandate as the majority of surveys
published forecast.
"With their vision, sense of responsibility and leadership,"
said Rabbi Gafni, "gedolei Yisroel instructed us on
how to direct the negotiations and how to reach the
agreements eventually achieved. Now it is up to each of us to
work toward the success of the list."
The two parties also agreed to an equal split of active posts
in the government and Knesset.
If UTJ joins a coalition the party will demand two central
posts to avoid what took place in the past. Furthermore, to
avoid the disputes that split UTJ last year, it was agreed in
any case of differences of opinion a decision would not be
reached based on a majority of party members. Instead both
Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel representatives would
present the various positions to gedolei Yisroel for a
final decision.
