Shas Candidate Under Fire for Alleged Misuse of Funds, Job for Ally

Drour Amos, a new candidate for the Shas party and chairman of the Religious Council in Haifa, is at the center of an investigative report alleging financial impropriety and a potential political deal. The report reveals that Amos's association, "Chessed Chaim V'Emet," received millions of shekels from the Ministry of Religious Services without a tender, particularly during the "Swords of Iron" war. However, families of war victims and evacuees claim they have never heard of the organization's activities.

Further allegations suggest Amos conditioned the transfer of public funds for a women's mikvah (ritual bath) project on the employment of an associate, Rabbi Yisrael Stroll, in a fictitious role. The head of the mikvah project's association, Baruch Klepa, claims Amos proposed paying Rabbi Stroll 10,000 shekels monthly. Amos has denied these claims, stating he never conditioned public funding on Rabbi Stroll's payment and that the association had requested Rabbi Stroll serve as a supervising rabbi for the mikvah, with the council covering costs. Klepa himself also denied the allegations after an official inquiry.

Amos, a lieutenant colonel in the maintenance corps, was appointed to his position in Haifa about a year and a half ago by the Ministry of Religious Services, reportedly after concealing his political affiliation with Shas and despite residing 240 kilometers from the city. The "Chessed Chaim V'Emet" association, which was supposed to support families of fallen soldiers and evacuees, has reportedly received additional funds from various religious councils, many managed by Shas officials, raising concerns about double funding. According to the association's 2024 report, over 2.5 million shekels were allocated for scholarships for yeshiva students, though no organized study location or office for the association was found. The registered address for the organization was discovered to be the private villa of the Amos family in Yerucham.

In light of these revelations, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri recently stated that a condition for the party's entry into the next government would be the approval of a multi-billion shekel plan for religious affairs ministries. The Ministry of Religious Services, which is under Shas's political purview, has previously contracted with "Chessed Chaim V'Emet" for millions of shekels during past military operations. The funding provided during the recent war months was approved under emergency procedures exempting it from tenders.