A 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)