Shas Party Faces Calls to Replace Chairman Deri After Election Losses
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Internal dissent has surfaced within the Shas party following a drop to seven Knesset seats in the recent election, leading to calls for the removal of Chairman Aryeh Deri. Critics blame campaign mismanagement and a misreading of electoral threats, suggesting the Likud party posed a greater challenge than initially assessed. Despite internal pressure and a request for discussion from senior Rabbi Moshe Maya, Deri has reportedly refused to meet, with sources citing his firm control over the party.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Shas party faces internal calls to replace Chairman Aryeh Deri after dropping to seven Knesset seats.
- Critics cite campaign mismanagement and a misjudgment of electoral threats as reasons for the decline.
- Some believe the Likud party, not Otzma Yehudit, was the main threat to Shas's voter base.
- Resources were allegedly misallocated, with insufficient focus on the core Haredi constituency.
- Senior Rabbi Moshe Maya requested a meeting with Deri to discuss election results, but was reportedly refused.
Following a significant drop in electoral support, with the Shas party securing only seven Knesset seats compared to eleven in the previous election, internal calls are emerging within the party to replace its chairman, Aryeh Deri. Sources within Shas are reportedly demanding Deri's ouster and leadership changes, citing criticism over election campaign management and strategic decisions. According to reports, some party insiders believe Shas misidentified the primary threat to its voter base, focusing efforts on countering Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party instead of recognizing potential erosion of support from Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. Further criticism targets the allocation of campaign resources and attention. Some Shas members argue that the party overemphasized efforts to gain support in the periphery and among the traditional public, neglecting its core Haredi voter base. Despite these internal demands for leadership change, there is little expectation that such a move will materialize, with one source noting Deri's singular control over the party. The criticism has also reached the party's rabbinical leadership, with Rabbi Moshe Maya, the senior rabbi of Shas's Council of Torah Sages, requesting a meeting with Deri to discuss the election results. However, reports indicate Deri refused to hold the conversation.
