Shas Party Downplays Aryeh Deri's Role in Current Election Campaign

The Shas party is reportedly minimizing the presence of its chairman, Aryeh Deri, in its current election campaign, a stark contrast to the 1999 elections when Deri was at the center of the party's efforts. In 1999, amid a dramatic legal battle where Deri was convicted of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, Shas's campaign embraced him, leading to a historic achievement of 17 Knesset seats. This result, a significant jump from its previous 10 seats, was attributed in part to Deri becoming a symbol for the Sephardic and Mizrahi public against the establishment.

Twenty-seven years later, the strategy appears to have shifted. According to a report, internal polls suggest Deri faces criticism within the Haredi public regarding the conscription law and is associated with the defense of yeshiva students' exemption from military service among some traditional voters. While Shas has not released these polls, recent campaign materials have focused on different messages.

One notable campaign effort, a video released in August depicting a soldier and a yeshiva student as part of the same family, aimed to appeal beyond the core Haredi base. However, this video was later ordered removed from Deri's X account by the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Solberg, following a request from the Yisrael Beiteinu party. Shas criticized the decision, arguing the video contained no IDF symbols.

The party's challenge lies in balancing its appeal to both Haredi voters, sensitive to the conscription issue, and traditional families with members serving in the military. In 1999, Shas successfully attracted traditional voters, residents of the periphery, and Mizrahim beyond its Haredi base. Today, the debate over conscription complicates this effort, raising questions about whether Deri, once Shas's greatest electoral asset, has become a liability the party prefers to keep out of the spotlight.