In an official statement issued by the household of Lithuanian community leader Rabbi Dov Lando, it was reported that he sent personal letters to Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, thanking them for their activities in recent years, "and particularly for the struggle for the status of yeshiva students." According to the statement, due to the need for "refreshment among Knesset members," the two will leave the Knesset to make way for new representatives. It was also reported that Rabbi Lando asked Gafni to continue serving as chairman of the national movement of Degel HaTorah.