Israel

Chareidi Parties Rejoice Over Election Results

Wednesday, November 2, 2022 5:20 pm | 2 Minute Read

By Hamodia Staff

United Torah Judaism party members gather at party headquarters in Bnei Brak on election night. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

YERUSHALAYIM − Chareidi political leaders were jubilant on Wednesday as the official vote count more than confirmed exit polls showing that the right-religious bloc led by Binyamin Netanyahu had won a stunning victory.

With 86% of the vote counted as of Wednesday evening, Shas had 11 Knesset seats and United Torah Judaism 7-8, which ought to guarantee them a central place in the next coalition. Current estimates give Netanyahu 65 seats, a clear majority, although that could still drop somewhat after counting is completed before the end of the week.

UTJ MKs Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf (left) and Rabbi Moshe Gafni shaking hands on election night in Bnei Brak. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

UTJ chairman MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said: “What did they not say about us? That we lacked leadership, that we would weaken, and people would vote for all kinds of other parties. But we have shown them! We grew our constituency by over 20,000 votes, and the eighth mandate as on the way, b’ezras Hashem!”

Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf, head of the Agudas Yisrael faction, said “We have merited this day to see thousands of Jews fulfill the mitzvah of our Rabbanim, members of the Council of Torah Sages, to vote for United Torah Judaism, for the sake of Toras Yisrael, Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael.”

Rabbi Goldknopf added that his mission is to work, along with his colleagues, for equal treatment for all children in the educational system, as well as equal pay for teachers and educators in the chareidi schools.

“The outgoing finance minister Avigdor Liberman stopped at nothing to harm the chareidi population. Unfortunately, in the end he harmed the entire Israeli society. B’ezras Hashem the incoming government will be able to repair the damage he did.”

UTJ MK Uri Maklev called on Netanyahu to “seize this victory…We shall return what was stolen from us, fix everything that was damaged, and bring chayei haTorah to the Jewish people.

“The struggle was not political; it was over Torah values and halachah in Israel. It was about our legitimacy, our roots and traditions. In this clear, decisive victory, the people said that they are not with them.”