A random encounter in the corridors of the Knesset between Knesset members Moshe Gafni of Yahadut HaTorah and Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beitenu is indicative of the conflict facing the ultra-Orthodox representatives in the Knesset as the third round of elections approaches. The contrast between a smile in the corridor and bitter verbal attacks bothers them. They don’t know whether they should let themselves be dragged into a conflict with Liberman, especially since the Likud and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both insist on keeping an open channel of communication with the chairman of Yisrael Beitenu.

Gafni and Liberman met by chance Dec. 9, about three weeks after the heated exchange between Liberman and the ultra-Orthodox members of Knesset. A photo that captures the encounter for perpetuity shows the two men smiling. Later, Gafni rushed to tell the press — with emphasis on the ultra-Orthodox press — that this was a chance meeting, and that the mood was very tense. In fact, they had a brief conversation, during which they tried to clarify the harsh statements made recently.

An earlier Al-Monitor article reported on the recent conflict between Liberman and the ultra-Orthodox, which shut the door on the kind of cooperation that the two sides once had. At a press conference in the Knesset Nov. 20, Liberman left many people fuming, when he bundled the ultra-Orthodox parties — Shas and Yahadut HaTorah — with the Arab Joint List, which represents Israel’s Arab public. “We should say it as it is — the Joint List is really a fifth column. But unfortunately, the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] parties are also becoming more and more anti-Zionist,” he said at the time. Liberman later raised the issue of yeshiva students, saying that 150,000 men study in yeshiva instead of going to work. He believes that the country needs no more than 1,500 students for whom Torah study is their profession. “All the rest can go to work. Studying the Torah is a blessing but they should do it on their own dime. We can’t bring up a generation of needy unfortunates here,” Liberman contended.

The Yahadut HaTorah faction convened a short time later for an urgent meeting. “A shameful and ugly horror show … full of ignorance and hatred," was how Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman described Liberman’s speech. “Anti-Semitism has been rediscovered today.” His fellow party member Gafni added that, “Liberman must leave the political establishment. We don’t recall such anti-Semitism in the Israeli Knesset … in another country this man would go to jail. Does this corrupt man know what we do? Who are you? Zero."