MK Yakov Asher of United Torah Judaism's (UTJ) Degel Hatorah faction spoke about his faction's recent disagreements with Agudat Yisrael, its longtime running mate in UTJ.
Speaking Monday night at a conference hosted by Kikar Hashabbat, Asher said, "Recently, we have had a disagreement, including in the past day, about the ideological partnership between us. We are not talking about the usual disagreements that there are in every party and in every partnership. We're talking about the basis of the partnership. This is what is being discussed."
He added, "The ones who will decide what Degel Hatorah does on the matter are only Rabbi Gershon Edelstein and the Torah sages. After we finish with this, we can move on to the usual political issues."
Asher emphasized, "We will not be willing to return to the method in which all of the political power is invested in bringing back what was stolen from us in the previous term. This time, we will demand to advance a number of immediate issues, first and foremost three central issues."
These main issues, he said, are: the allotment of 50,000 available housing units in the coming two years for the haredi sector, with maps and clear plans; the insertion of the yeshiva budget into the basis of the budget; and full funding for early childhood education, with the educational budgets placed in their proper positions after being eroded by tens of percentage points for years.