Tens of Thousands of Haredi Voters Stayed Home in Recent Election
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Approximately 33,000 Haredi voters abstained from the recent Knesset elections, impacting the Shas party which received significantly fewer votes than its potential. United Torah Judaism, however, successfully mobilized most of its supporters. The low turnout is linked to a voter suppression campaign within the Haredi community. Shas's support declined notably among traditional voters, with some votes shifting to Likud and Otzma Yehudit.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Around 33,000 Haredi voters did not participate in the recent Knesset elections.
- Shas received approximately 290,000 votes, falling short of its potential 425,000.
- United Torah Judaism mobilized nearly its entire voter base, securing about 306,000 votes.
- A voter suppression campaign reportedly encouraged Haredi voters to stay home.
- Shas lost significant support among traditional and religious voters.
- Some Shas votes reportedly shifted to Likud, Otzma Yehudit, and the "Tzav Shechur" party.
An analysis of the recent Knesset election results reveals that approximately 33,000 Haredi voters did not cast their ballots. This low turnout is attributed, in part, to a voter suppression campaign that circulated within the Haredi community in the weeks leading up to the election, using slogans like "sit and do nothing." The primary beneficiary of this trend was the United Torah Judaism party, which successfully mobilized nearly its entire voter base, securing around 306,000 votes out of a potential 324,000. In contrast, the Shas party experienced a significant decline, receiving only about 290,000 votes from an estimated potential of 425,000.
Shas's losses were particularly pronounced among its traditional and religious supporters, with only about 30,000 votes from this demographic, far below the estimated 115,000 potential. The analysis suggests that votes equivalent to roughly two Knesset seats shifted from Shas to parties like Likud and Otzma Yehudit. Among Haredi yeshiva graduates, Shas garnered approximately 155,000 votes instead of a potential 190,000. The party also saw a decrease in support from peripheral areas and among Ashkenazi Haredi voters.
Overall, Shas lost votes equivalent to about one Knesset seat. Roughly half of these missing votes were from individuals who did not vote at all, while the remainder were distributed among United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, and the Jerusalem Faction's "Tzav Shechur" party. Specifically, around 20,000 Sephardi yeshiva graduates did not vote for Shas, with about 17,000 staying home and 3,000 choosing "Tzav Shechur."
United Torah Judaism, despite a shortfall of about 18,000 votes from its potential 324,000, managed to bring most of its voters to the polls. Of the missing votes, approximately 13,000 voters abstained, while about 2,000 voted for "Tzav Shechur," another 2,000 for the "Haredi Public" party, and only about 1,000 for parties led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.