"Yaakov Asher and Lazer Sorotzkin - both good people"

Tonight at 19:30 members of the Council of Torah Sages of Degel HaTorah will gather at the home of Hgray"l Steinman at 5 Chazon Ish Street, for a special meeting where the final decision will be made on the composition of the Knesset faction list. Three first places in the Degel HaTorah, are located as 2, 4, and 7 in the list of Yahadut Hatorah, therefore the duty of vote requirement will be brought up at the conference for Yahadut Hatorah marked as ג and Torah Sages will also discuss current events.

Degel HaTorah MK's, Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, will update participants on new agreements and arrangements which they came up with representatives of the Ministry of Defense in terms of stabilization of yeshiva students at the recruitment centers.

The deadline for submitting lists of candidates of the 19th Knesset is on Thursday at 10:00 at night, but Degel HaTorah, decided to prepare earlier and will not wait until the last minute.

All members of the Council of Torah Sages selected in recent months, announced their participation in the conference. Hgrm"tz Bergman, who is currently abroad, for the needs of Kollel Rashbi, which he heads, was unable to attend the conference.

Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, Rosh Yeshiva Slabodka is also abroad, but cut his visit short because of deterioration in the condition of Hgr"a Sachs, and may participate in the conference.

Yesterday the secretary of the Council of Torah Sages of 'Degel', Rabbi Avraham Rubinstein, visited the home of HaGaon Auerbach in Jerusalem, and invited him to participate in the conference. HaGaon gave no answer as to his intentions, and evaluations on both sides - the leaders of Degel HaTorah and the leaders of the Yerushalmi sector – are that he will not participate.

In a letter to Hgr"tz Friedman sent to MKs of Degel HaTorah Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, in the name of HaGaon Auerbach he said that the non-inclusion of Menachem Carmel to Degel HaTorah's legacy violates Harav Elyashiv zt"l, and he will therefore not participate in the conference.

Harav Steinman's students say in response, "he who approached the courts and allowed to go to court against Gedolei Yisrael, and he who bothered to destroy 'Sheirith Yisrael' and resigned from it in an acute fashion, is not worthy to speak in name of the legacy of Rav Elyashiv zt"l."

Meanwhile, pressure is being placed on several members of 'moetzet' who intend to attend the meeting. Associates tell of phone calls to the homes of rabbis and pressures directed also towards their wives - all to prevent their participation in the conference.

The identity of the third candidate in 'Degel HaTorah' is being kept top secret until the last moment to avoid the possibility of exerting pressure. At the end of the meeting, of the Moetzet the council secretary will come out with the official announcement of the decision, as well as other topics which will be discussed at the conference.

Asher is leading, Reich is out

Estimates are that current leading candidates are Mayor of Bnei Brak Yaakov Asher and Rabbi Eliezer Sorotzkin, Chairman of Lev L'Achim.

The candidacy of Yitzchak Reich, Chairman of Agudath Yisrael kindergarten network, is currently not even on the agenda. This is after Reich entered the house of Hgray"l Steinman this morning and talked with him. During the conversation he said that after his name came up as a candidate of the 'Degel' party in third place, he wants to continue his great work at the kindergarten network. "You have done a great job there - keep your job there, "said Hgray"l.

With his departure, Hgray"l told his household members: "Rabbi Yaakov Asher and Rabbi Lazer Sorotzkin are both good men."

Those involved in the case told that a few days ago Hgray"l Steinman brought up to the chairman of Degel HaTorah Moshe Gafni the proposal to elect Rabbi Eliezer Sorotzkin - and asked his opinion. For various reasons Gafni disqualified the offer.

Yesterday Hgray"l brought up the name of Yaakov Asher, and asked Gafni to choose., After all, Gafni is supposed to work with the movement's representatives in the Knesset, and his opinion is certainly taken into account. Up until now Gafni has not given a clear answer, but it seems he will suggest Asher as a preferred candidate.

Gafni's spokesman responded: "On these issues Gafni does not respond to the media and does not deal with it."

In the afternoon Asher received a phone call from the home on Chazon Ish Street: "The Rosh Yeshiva decided, you are the third member of 'Degel'," he said.

And just before his men open the champagne bottles, it is worth mentioning: seventh place, is not really feasible.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!