Dancing at Two Weddings 

While most Israeli politicians view the Knesset as a springboard for higher office, Gafni — his 33-year tenure interrupted only by a stint as deputy minister in 1990 — has always seen Knesset activity as the ideal public service. He has spent most of the past decade chairing the Finance Committee, arguably the Knesset’s most important committee, with its finger on the pulse of the Israeli economy.

But even as a veteran politician, you know you’ve made a stir when you make front-page headlines in the leading weeklies of both the secular and chareidi communities.

And that’s exactly what happened last week, with both the Hebrew Mishpacha and Yedioth Ahronoth prominently featuring Gafni’s statement about the day after the elections: “If Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc doesn’t have 61 seats, we’ll have to rethink our position and consult gedolei haTorah.”

To understand how the chairman of Degel HaTorah, a faction that controls four seats, became the star of the campaign launch season, we have to get into the spirit of Shlomo Hamelech Street, Bnei Brak, where the popular Armonot Chen complex and several other event halls are located. So get into the spirit and join us for Gafni’s dance at two weddings.