The shaking of the Torah flag: Rabbi Lando officially announced this evening (Saturday night) to MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev that they will not be included on the Degel Hatorah list in the upcoming Knesset elections.
In personal letters to the two, Rabbi Landau thanked them for their activity over the years, but announced that due to the "need for refreshment" - they would leave the Knesset and make way for new representatives.
A statement from Rabbi Lando's house stated that the head of the yeshiva "addressed Knesset members Rabbi Moshe Gafni and Rabbi Uri Maklev in personal letters this evening and thanked them warmly for their activity in recent years in complete obedience to the great men of Israel, and in particular in the struggle for the status of the yeshiva members, who conducted it with excellent dedication to the praise of the great men of the Torah - but due to the need to refresh among the Knesset members, the first two will therefore leave the Knesset in order to bring in new representatives.".
In addition, according to the announcement, Rabbi Landau asked "Chairman of Degel Hatorah Rabbi Gafni to continue serving as Chairman of the National Movement.".
Moshe Gafni was first elected as a member of the Knesset 38 years ago - ahead of the 1989 elections. He served as a Knesset member for 35 years, after twice retiring in favor of rotation agreements.
Gafni and McCleb have tried in recent days to fight the decision to remove him, but it seems that at the end of the battle they were defeated - and the move received official approval this evening from Rabbi Lando's house.
The one expected to head the United Torah Judaism list is MK Yaakov Asher. Asher is a confidant of David Shapira, the grandson of the late Rabbi Steinman, who is currently considered the "strong man" in Rabbi Landau's household.
