
Leaders of the United Torah Judaism and Shas parties issued a joint statement Sunday declaring their opposition to early elections and announcing they will oppose any efforts to weaken the present ruling coalition.
Amid speculation new elections could be in the offing due to an ongoing spate between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (who also serves as Communications Minister) and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) over the proposed Israel Public Broadcasting Agency, several new polls show the center-left Yesh Atid party leading the Likud.
On Sunday, leaders of the three haredi factions declared they would cooperate to prevent early elections and to help maintain the present coalition’s stability.
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas), Health Minister Yaakov Litzman – who heads the Agudah faction of United Torah Judaism – and Finance Committee Chairman Moshe Gafi – head of the Degel faction of UTJ – wrote in the joint statement: “We will not accept early elections and we will not aid [in initiating them].”
Both Litzman and Deri have worked in recent days to settle the ongoing coalition crisis and stave off new elections.