Significant progress has been made in negotiations between Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisrael over their joint United Torah Judaism slate ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections, with the two factions nearing an agreement on the allocation of seats.

Under the emerging agreement, if UTJ wins seven seats, Degel HaTorah would retain the seventh seat outright, without being required to rotate it with Agudas Yisrael.

If the party wins eight seats, Agudas Yisrael would similarly not demand a rotation involving the ninth slot, which belongs to Degel HaTorah. In another significant change, the tenth position, which had been designated for Agudas Yisrael, is expected to be transferred to Degel HaTorah.

The arrangement would significantly alter the balance between the two factions and is aimed at preventing a repeat of the situation following the previous election. When UTJ won seven seats, Degel HaTorah ultimately found itself with only three MKs compared to four for Agudas Yisrael due to disagreements surrounding the rotation agreement for the seventh seat.

Under the new framework, should Degel HaTorah secure the seventh position, the seat would remain entirely with the Litvish faction rather than being shared through a rotation agreement.

Only final technical details reportedly remain to be resolved between the sides ahead of next week’s deadline for submitting the election slates.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)