Gafni
GafniFlash 90

United Torah Judaism (UTJ) MK and Finance Committee Chair Moshe Gafni praised Zionist Union party head Avi Gabbay in an interview on Saturday night in what some see as a sign that the haredi parties are warming to the idea of joining a possible future coalition with Gabbay.

Speaking with journalist Rina Matzliach from Channel 2's "Meet the Israeli Press" program, Gafni said that "many of what Gabbay has been saying I myself would say" and hinted cryptically that he does not rule out "future cooperation".

Gabbay has been attempting to recruit the haredi parties to support him and was seen conversing for an extended period of time with UTJ heads Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Litzman at a Bar Mitzvah celebration for Gafni's grandson a few weeks ago. Gabbay also said that he hoped for the recovery of haredi leader Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman after he was hospitalized last week.

In early November the heads of the Kulanu and Yisrael Beytenu parties said that they adamantly refused to join a leftist government with Gabbay. "Kulanu will not join a left-wing government. I am part of the nationalist camp... I see no situation in which Kulanu would join a leftist government led by the Labor party" said Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon.

"When we gain 30 Knesset seats, everyone will want to be in our coalition. They are afraid, I can understand them," Gabbay responded.