A feud between the ultra-Orthodox Shas and Degel HaTorah parties over control of Jerusalem’s religious council spilled over into public view Monday, with senior lawmakers from both parties accusing each other of harming religion in Israel.

According to the Behadrei Haredim news site, during Shas’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, MK Michael Malkieli accused Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni of joining “forces with the religion-haters from the opposition” to prevent the approval of NIS 30 million ($9.4 million) for the renovation of ritual baths “just because of a certain role that they thought they deserved.”

Malkieli alleged that this calls into question Gafni’s “decision-making in all matters” relating to religion in Israel.

Malkieli served as religious affairs minister until Shas resigned from the government over the summer as part of an ongoing dispute regarding ultra-Orthodox enlistment.

Last week, Degel HaTorah abstained from voting for additional funding for the Religious Services Ministry, a key Shas interest, as part of the fight over the appointment of the Jerusalem religious council’s new chairman.

The ultra-Orthodox Kikar Hashabbat news site reported that Gafni opposes the appointment of Shas chairman Aryeh Deri’s associate Hananel Shem Tov to the position, insisting that it belongs to his party. Shas, meanwhile, argues that its coalition agreement gives it the authority to choose the council chairman.

Degel HaTorah is one of two factions comprising the larger........

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