Yeshiva World News20 hours agoA dramatic report suggesting that Degel HaTorah could consider joining forces with the center-left bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot has triggered a political controversy in Israel, with senior United Torah Judaism officials quickly denying that any such instructions were issued.
Yishai Cohen, political editor of Kikar HaShabbat and a panelist on Channel 12, reported Friday that HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau had instructed Degel HaTorah’s Knesset representatives to open discussions with the so-called “change bloc” as Israel’s political parties explore possible coalition arrangements following this week’s elections.
According to Cohen’s report, Degel HaTorah does not consider itself automatically committed to either the Netanyahu bloc or the opposition, with the overriding priority being the protection of yeshiva bochurim and the resolution of the ongoing military draft crisis.
The report raised the possibility that Degel HaTorah could consider cooperation with Eisenkot if his bloc agreed to the party’s demands regarding the status of Bnei Yeshivos.
Such a move would represent a significant development in Israeli coalition politics, potentially challenging the longstanding political alignment between the Chareidi parties and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc.
However, the office of United Torah Judaism MK Yaakov Asher, a senior Degel HaTorah representative, moved quickly to reject the report.
“No such instruction was given. We have not even visited the Gedolei Yisroel since the elections,” Asher’s office said in a statement.
The denial directly contradicts the claim that Rav Landau had already issued instructions to begin negotiations with the opposition.
The controversy comes as Israel’s political parties assess the final election results and the prospects for forming a government.
With neither major political bloc holding a straightforward path to a governing majority, the Chareidi parties could play a pivotal role in determining the composition of the next coalition.
The military draft issue remains one of the most significant obstacles in coalition negotiations, particularly following months of arrests of yeshiva bochurim and growing outrage throughout the Chareidi community.
For Degel HaTorah, securing protections for Bnei Yeshivos and ensuring the continued ability of bochurim and avreichim to learn Torah without facing military prosecution remain central political demands.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Yeshiva World News22 hours agoA bus carrying a group of Chareidi girls on a Friday morning trip was involved in a devastating accident in southern Israel, leaving the driver dead and more than 20 passengers injured.
The accident occurred on Highway 25 near the entrance to Moshav Shibolim and the Beit HaGadi junction in the Negev, when the bus collided with a tractor.
The force of the collision severely damaged the front of the bus, trapping the driver and several passengers inside.
Firefighters from Netivot rushed to the scene and carried out a complex rescue operation to free those trapped in the wreckage.
The bus driver, a man approximately 50 years old, was found unconscious with critical injuries. Magen David Adom paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. ZAKA volunteers were dispatched to handle the deceased with dignity.
Emergency medical teams treated numerous injured passengers. MDA reported that a 61-year-old woman was seriously injured, a 35-year-old woman sustained moderate injuries, and 22 others suffered light injuries. Earlier reports provided differing injury totals and classifications.
MDA paramedics described arriving to find the bus lodged against the rear of the tractor, with extensive damage to its front. Rescue teams worked to stabilize the injured and evacuate them to hospitals.
Police closed Highway 25 to westbound traffic following the accident, while traffic investigators launched an investigation into the circumstances of the deadly collision.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
