UTJ to Netanyahu: Right-Wing Alliance Not Guaranteed

United Torah Judaism MK Yaakov Asher warned Sunday that the Charedi parties’ long-standing partnership with the right-wing bloc should no longer be taken for granted ahead of the next election.

Speaking in an interview with Gideon Oko and Amichai Attali on 103FM, Asher said the current political alliance no longer necessarily serves the core interests of the Charedi public, particularly as tensions grow over the draft crisis, yeshiva budgets and the status of Torah learners.

Asher said the Charedi parties have paid a political and ideological price over the years in order to remain part of the right-wing bloc. He argued that while UTJ supported policies important to other coalition partners, the same commitment has not been shown when it comes to issues central to the Charedi public.

“We swallowed quite a few frogs on matters that are not part of our worldview, such as the issue of settlements,” Asher said. “Today we are saying that this bloc, the right-wing bloc, takes care of itself, not of what is most precious to us.”

The remarks were widely understood as a warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has relied for years on the Charedi parties as a stable part of his political camp. Asher’s comments suggest that UTJ may be preparing to negotiate more independently after the next election, rather than automatically backing Netanyahu and the right.

Asked directly whether United Torah Judaism could cooperate with the parties of the so-called change bloc after the election, Asher did not rule out future political flexibility.

Instead, he said the Charedi parties should be seen as their own ideological bloc, focused first on Torah, yeshiva students and the interests of the Charedi public.

“We have our own bloc, the bloc of Torah, which in terms of true worldview is what protects Am Yisrael,” Asher said. “Whoever joins our bloc and understands this matter, we can be with him.”

The statement marks a sharper tone from a senior Charedi lawmaker at a time when relations inside the coalition are already strained. Charedi leaders have accused parts of the government of failing to deliver on the draft law, daycare subsidies and protection for the Torah world.

Asher’s message was that the next coalition will not be judged only by old loyalties or bloc politics. For UTJ, the deciding question will be who is prepared to meet the demands of the Charedi public.