Moshe Gafni
Moshe Gafni is a veteran Israeli politician and the chairman of the Degel HaTorah party, representing the non-Hasidic (Litvak) Haredi community. A central figure in the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) alliance, he is known for his long-standing chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee and his role as a primary negotiator for Haredi interests, particularly regarding yeshiva funding and military draft exemptions.
Moshe Gafni is one of the most influential and experienced parliamentarians in the Knesset, having served since 1988. As the leader of the Litvak Degel HaTorah party, Gafni has dedicated his career to the defense of the "Torah world," focusing on securing the legal status of yeshiva students and the financial stability of Haredi educational institutions. His political power has traditionally been concentrated in the Finance Committee, where he wields significant control over the national budget to ensure sectoral needs are met.
In the current political landscape, Gafni has been a critical pillar of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition. His leadership is defined by a pragmatic but firm insistence on Haredi requirements, often navigating complex negotiations with both secular partners and his Sephardic Haredi counterpart, Aryeh Deri of Shas. While primarily focused on religious and economic matters, Gafni has occasionally engaged in cross-sectoral maneuvers, such as his reported coordination with Arab MKs on legislative items like the "Muezzin Bill."
Recently, Gafni has been at the center of a high-stakes coalition crisis regarding the "Basic Law: Torah Study" and Haredi conscription. Amid growing public and judicial pressure for equality in the service burden, Gafni issued several ultimatums, threatening to dissolve the Knesset if legislation protecting yeshiva students was not advanced. He also secured significant economic commitments, including a 39 million shekel budget for Haredi kindergarten teachers in exchange for supporting the bill to split the Attorney General's role.
In a major shift for the Degel HaTorah party, it was officially reported in September 2026 that Gafni will end his long-standing Knesset career. Under the directive of Rabbi Dov Landau, Gafni and MK Uri Maklev are stepping down as part of a party slate refresh, with MK Yaakov Asher expected to lead the list in the upcoming elections.