A lower electoral threshold would also allow other smaller parties to enter the Knesset. Currently, the 3.25% threshold means that a party must win at least four seats to pass the Knesset. The parties below the threshold redistribute their votes proportionally among other parties. The new bill will reduce the limit, most likely to two seats. The bill tabled late last week could imply a power struggle within the UTJ. The seven-seat faction is in fact an alliance of two Ashkenazi Haredi parties, Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael. Degel HaTorah – Gafni’s faction – represents the non-Hasidic Haredim. In recent years, Degel HaTorah has increased his influence over Agudat Yisrael, who represents the Hasidic communities. The bill to reduce Gafni’s limit is co-signed by the other three members of the UTJ Knesset Degel HaTorah. Agudat Yisrael historically held the majority of the party’s Knesset ballot, until Degel HaTorah’s oversized appearance in the 2018 municipal elections forced a reshuffle of power. Today, the two parties split representing the Knesset. UTJ’s leadership also changed last year from retired MK Yaakov Litzman of Agudat Yisrael in Gafni, after 18 years with Litzman at the helm. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms A lower electoral threshold would allow parties to run as separate seats. UTJ MK Yaakov Litzman speaks during a Torah United Judaism faction meeting on December 13, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel / Flash90) “He believes he will get more votes” if Degel HaTorah were a candidate alone and not as part of the UTJ alliance, Haredi political analyst and adviser Avi Grinzweig told Gafni. As the prospect of elections draws ever closer to the troubled Knesset, a divided UTJ is not the only faction threatened by the current electoral threshold. Several coalition parties – including Meretz, Ra’am, Yisrael Beytenu, New Hope and Yamina – are voting in about 4-5 seats. With many coalition parties potentially threatened by the four-seat blockade, some Jewish media outlets have reported that Foreign Minister Yair Lapid supports Gafni’s attempt to lower the threshold. A Lapid spokesman declined to comment, saying “the issue is not currently on the agenda.” The electoral threshold is a hotly debated issue in Israeli politics. A lower limit allows more votes to be counted and a fuller representation of the electorate, but it can create a situation in which small parties with only a few members can make high demands on the completion of a coalition. A higher limit limits and consolidates power, but ultimately results in a certain percentage of the vote in each election being wasted. It is not (only) for you. Times of Israel support is not a transaction for an online service such as subscribing to Netflix. The ToI community is reaching out to people like you who are interested in a common good: ensuring that Israel’s balanced, responsible coverage continues to be available to millions around the world, free of charge. We’re sure to remove all ads from your page and give you access to some amazing community-only content. But your support gives you something deeper than that: the pride of being involved in something that really matters. Join the community Times of Israel Join our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it You are a devoted reader We’re really glad you read the X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide demanding readers like you with the coverage they need to read about Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not created a paywall. However, as the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers for whom the Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel. For just $ 6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel WITHOUT ADVERTISING, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thanks, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of the Times of Israel Subscribe to our community Subscribe to our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it