Shas Party's Future MK Accused of Misdirecting Millions Meant for War Victims

An investigative report by "Weekend News" has revealed serious allegations against Dror Amos, a reserve major set to become a Member of Knesset for the Shas party. Amos, who heads the religious council in Haifa, is accused of using his charity, "Chessed Chaim Ve'Emet," to funnel millions of shekels from government ministries under Shas's control, ostensibly for supporting families of war victims. However, the investigation suggests that the vast majority of these funds did not reach their intended recipients.

Instead, over 2.5 million shekels in 2024 were allocated for scholarships, primarily for yeshiva students (avrechim) studying religious law related to mourning. The charity's representatives explained that these avrechim receive stipends for their studies, which are conducted independently rather than in a structured learning environment. This pattern of prioritizing scholarships for religious study has been a central expense for the organization in previous years as well.

Further scrutiny revealed discrepancies in financial reporting between Amos's charity and the "Achim La'Orf" organization, which allegedly provided significant funding. While "Chessed Chaim Ve'Emet" reported receiving 1.3 million shekels from "Achim La'Orf," the latter reported transferring double that amount, 2.6 million shekels. The charity refused to explain the discrepancy. Additionally, numerous communities and bereaved families contacted by the investigation stated they had no knowledge of the charity or its supposed services.

The report also highlights Amos's close ties to Shas leadership, including meetings with Aryeh Deri, and his appointment as head of the Haifa religious council despite living 240 kilometers away. The legal advisor for the Ministry for Religious Services raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and political appointments, but these were reportedly dismissed. Amos has since resigned from his charity, with his brother taking over, and his family's private villa is listed as the charity's office address.

In response, Shas called the report a "false investigation" aimed at harming the party. The Ministry for Religious Services stated that Amos's predecessors also lived far from Haifa and that his conflict of interest arrangements were approved. Other organizations mentioned provided explanations for their dealings with the charity, including claims of winning tenders or specific contractual reasons for payments.