Ultra-Orthodox Parties Shas and UTJ Sign Vote-Sharing Deal
Translated & summarized from Arab48 by baba
Ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism signed a surplus vote-sharing agreement on Sunday ahead of the Israeli elections. The deal, intended to maximize their Knesset seats, follows similar pacts by other parties including Likud and Religious Zionism. Three parties, Otzma Yehudit among them, have yet to secure a partner before the October 16 deadline. These agreements allow parties to combine leftover votes to gain additional seats, with mechanisms often favoring larger parties.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Shas and United Torah Judaism signed a surplus vote-sharing agreement for the upcoming Israeli elections.
- The deal aims to maximize the ultra-Orthodox parties' chances of gaining Knesset seats from leftover votes.
- The agreement was signed five days before the October 16 deadline for such pacts.
- Several other parties, including Likud and Religious Zionism, have already signed similar deals.
- Otzma Yehudit remains without a partner, accusing Likud of attempting to weaken it.
- Three parties still need to finalize agreements before the deadline.
The ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) signed an agreement on Sunday to share surplus votes in the upcoming Israeli elections. The deal, made five days before the deadline for such pacts, aims to boost the two parties' chances of benefiting from leftover votes after the initial distribution of Knesset seats.
A joint statement from the parties, signed by Shas head Aryeh Deri and UTJ leader Yaakov Asher, stated the agreement "reflects the continued cooperation between the two blocs, according to the directives of the senior rabbis and Torah sages." They added that the parties would continue to work in the next Knesset with "full cooperation and a united front on fundamental issues related to preserving the world of Torah, the status of yeshiva students, and strengthening religious educational institutions."
Shas and UTJ join a growing number of parties finalizing surplus vote agreements. Last week, the Likud and Religious Zionism signed a similar deal, leaving Otzma Yehudit, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, without a partner so far. Otzma Yehudit accused Likud of rejecting a partnership to weaken the party and keep Ben-Gvir out of a unity government allegedly planned with Gadi Eisenkot.
Other agreements include one between Yishai's party, led by Eisenkot, and the Democrats, led by Yair Golan. Naftali Bennett's party, Bayad, also signed a deal with Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu.
Three parties still lack agreements: Otzma Yehudit, Ofek Israel led by Ofer Winter, and the Reserve Soldiers-Economic list led by Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zehlik. The legal deadline for submitting these agreements is October 16.
Surplus vote agreements allow two lists to pool their leftover votes as if they were a single entity for distributing remaining seats. This mechanism generally favors larger parties. Parties without such agreements risk losing their surplus votes, which are not counted in the distribution of remaining seats, thus forfeiting the chance to gain an additional seat.
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