Degel HaTorah Decides to Oust Gafni and Maklev, Name Yaakov Asher Chairman

Degel HaTorah decided Saturday evening to remove party chairman Moshe Gafni and MK Uri Maklev, according to a report citing party sources. MK Yaakov Asher is set to become the party’s chairman. The report described Asher as a trusted associate of party power broker David Shapira, who had been advancing the leadership change ahead of the election-list deadline. Earlier reporting had said MK Yitzhak Pindrus and Asher were expected to remain on the slate, but that the replacement plan was not yet final.