Shas Party's Yigal Guetta Vows Not to Vote for Party, Cites Deri's Absence from Funeral
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Former Knesset member Yigal Guetta declared he will not vote for the Shas party, criticizing its leader Aryeh Deri for not attending the funeral of Uri Danino, a victim of the October 7th attacks. Guetta also condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government for corruption. He believes Shas is failing to attract a growing religious youth demographic, predicting a significant electoral shortfall. Guetta's decision marks a stark break from his past support for the party.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yigal Guetta will not vote for Shas, citing Aryeh Deri's absence from Uri Danino's funeral.
- Guetta criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government for widespread corruption.
- He believes any successor to Netanyahu would be an improvement.
- Guetta stated Shas is failing to attract religious youth, predicting electoral failure.
- Guetta expressed deep disillusionment with Shas, stating the party has lost its way.
Former Knesset member Yigal Guetta announced in an interview with 103fm that he will not vote for the Shas party in the upcoming elections, citing his deep disappointment with the party's leadership, particularly Chairman Aryeh Deri. Guetta expressed anger that Deri did not attend the funeral of Uri Danino, a victim of the October 7th attacks, despite Danino's family being Shas supporters. Guetta stated that Deri's focus on appointments and kashrut certifications during wartime, while neglecting to visit the bereaved or wounded, makes him unfit for leadership.
Guetta also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government, alleging widespread corruption and decay within government institutions. He believes that any successor to Netanyahu would be an improvement and that it would take at least a decade to repair the damage. Guetta observed that while young people are becoming more religious, they are not joining Shas, contributing to what he sees as the party's failure to reach its potential of 13-14 Knesset seats, calling a result of 9 or 10 a "complete failure."
Reflecting on his own disillusionment, Guetta explained that after leaving the Knesset nearly nine years ago, he continued to believe Shas could reform and voted for the party until the previous term. However, he now feels the party has lost its way and that he is a politician "who knows how to tell the truth in public about his party that lost its way."
