Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah, the factions comprising Ashkenazic-haredi United Torah Judaism (UTJ), are drafting an agreement ahead of a joint run in the upcoming Knesset elections.

According to Behadrey Haredim, under the agreement, the two factions would commit to demanding in any future coalition negotiations a full exemption from military service for every yeshiva student, without criminal or financial sanctions of any kind.

The position represents a dramatic shift, particularly for Degel HaTorah, which during discussions in recent years had shown some willingness to consider proposals that included specific personal sanctions in order to ensure the proposal would withstand scrutiny by the Supreme Court.

To ensure that the demand is implemented, the agreement establishes a series of significant political pressure mechanisms. Foremost among these is that until the Knesset passes legislation regulating the status of haredi yeshiva students, the faction's representatives will not serve as ministers, deputy ministers, or chairmen of Knesset committees.

According to the report, the agreement also stipulates that the faction will not support coalition legislation, with the exception of a limited number of measures explicitly approved by the parties' rabbinic leadership.

Alongside the political provisions, the agreement establishes a new organizational framework for managing the faction. Among other measures, a joint leadership body will be established to deal with core issues including religion and state, education, and the status of yeshiva students.

The agreement also stipulates that faction meetings will be held regularly with the participation of elected representatives and candidates through the 12th position on the slate. Decisions will be made only by full consensus, rather than by majority vote. In the event of a dispute between the factions, the matter will be referred to an agreed-upon arbitration panel.