Shas Council Decides Against Ousting Incumbent MKs, Two New Names to Join List

The Council of Torah Sages of the Shas party concluded a dramatic meeting on Sunday regarding the party's Knesset list for the upcoming elections. The council decided, for the time being, not to remove any incumbent Knesset members from the list. However, changes in the positioning of existing members are expected, and two new individuals are slated to join.

The new additions are Yosef Elnatonov, representing the Bukharan community, and Dror David Amos, the chairman of the Religious Council in Haifa. Amos, a retired IDF officer and public figure, had recently been considered for a military slot on the list.

Despite the decision to retain current MKs, the list's composition is not yet final. Additional candidate names were presented to the rabbis during the meeting, and a final decision has been postponed until later in the week. Shas stated that the Council of Torah Sages convened in Jerusalem to discuss the formation of the party's Knesset list and that further candidate names were presented.

The final list composition will be brought before the Council of Torah Sages again for their review and decision, expected by Tuesday. The meeting was attended by members of the Council of Torah Sages, with the exception of Rabbi Shlomo Machfud. Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri also participated in the election preparations meeting.