Shas Party Suffers Historic Electoral Blow, Losing Over 100,000 Votes
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
The Shas party suffered a major electoral defeat, losing at least 100,000 votes compared to the previous election, reaching its lowest point in 35 years. The decline affected both Haredi and traditional voters, with significant drops observed in peripheral cities and strongholds like Jerusalem. Following the results, the party canceled its planned post-election event.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Shas lost at least 100,000 votes in the recent election, its worst result in 35 years.
- The party's vote count dropped from 392,964 to 257,898, a deficit of 135,066.
- Approximately 30,000 lost votes came from the Haredi public and 70,000 from the traditional sector.
- Peripheral cities like Dimona and Netivot saw support drops exceeding 45%.
- Jerusalem, a key Shas stronghold, experienced a 15.34% decrease in support.
- Shas canceled its post-election gathering in Jerusalem due to the results.
The Shas party experienced a significant setback in the recent Knesset elections, losing at least 100,000 votes compared to the previous election. In the prior election, Shas garnered 392,964 votes, while this time it received 257,898 votes, a deficit of 135,066. Even with an estimated addition of up to 35,000 votes from double envelopes, the party is projected to have lost approximately 100,000 votes. Analysis suggests that about 30,000 lost votes came from the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) public, with an additional 70,000 from the traditional sector, indicating a substantial impact on both of Shas's core constituencies.
According to Dr. Gilad Malach from the Israel Democracy Institute, Shas achieved its worst result in 35 years, returning to support levels seen in 1992. The decline is particularly pronounced in peripheral cities, where support dropped by about 42%. Even in Haredi centers, the party saw a significant decrease of approximately 25%.
The vote loss was evident across numerous cities. Dimona saw a 48.5% drop in support for Shas, followed by Netivot with 46.3%, Ofakim with 45%, and Sderot with 42.1%. Ashkelon experienced a 39.9% decline, Netanya 39%, and Ashdod 37.2%. In central Israel, Holon saw a 29.6% decrease, and Safed 21.5%. Even in Jerusalem, a key stronghold, support fell by 15.34%, and Tiberias saw a 9.1% reduction.
In the wake of this electoral defeat, the party canceled its post-election gathering that had been scheduled for Jerusalem.
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