MK Moshe Gafni of Degel HaTorah has withdrawn his candidacy for the coalition’s seat on the Judicial Selection Committee, announcing his support for fellow United Torah Judaism (UTJ) lawmaker MK Yisrael Eichler of the Agudas Yisroel faction.

Degel HaTorah, the Litvishe wing of UTJ, released a statement saying Gafni “calls on Knesset members to support the candidacy of the Agudas Yisroel representative for the position.” The move is seen as an attempt to preserve unity within the broader UTJ bloc, following rising political tension in the wake of the government’s failure to pass a long-promised draft exemption law for yeshiva students.

Although both Gafni and Eichler referred to the position as the “Knesset representative,” the seat in question is, in fact, reserved for a coalition member on the Judicial Selection Committee — elected only by coalition MKs. Eichler’s eligibility remains uncertain, however, as UTJ officially left the government last week in protest of the stalled draft legislation.

Also in the running is MK Yinon Azoulay of the Shas party, which likewise exited the government last week but continues to operate within the coalition framework.

The race for the influential post comes just months after the government passed controversial reforms to the Judicial Selection Committee. The changes eliminated both seats previously held by the Israel Bar Association, replacing them with one lawyer appointed by the coalition and another by the opposition. The new structure also gives each political bloc — coalition, opposition, and judiciary — veto power over the appointment of lower court judges.

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