Deri Reverses Course, Remains Shas Chairman, Will Resign from Knesset
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Arie Deri will remain chairman of the Shas party after the Council of Torah Sages forbade him from resigning. While continuing as party leader, Deri is expected to step down as a Member of Knesset. The council cited the need for his experienced leadership in the ongoing public and political struggle for the status of Torah scholars. Shas will continue its efforts to regulate the status of yeshiva students.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Arie Deri will remain chairman of the Shas party following a directive from the Council of Torah Sages.
- Deri is expected to resign from his position as a Member of Knesset.
- The Council of Torah Sages forbade Deri from leaving his post, calling him the 'most experienced general'.
- The decision comes amid a public and political struggle for the status of Torah scholars.
- Shas will continue efforts to regulate the status of yeshiva students.
- Deri's move allows him to lead the party from outside the Knesset.
Arie Deri, chairman of the Shas party, will remain at the helm of the movement, reversing his earlier intention to resign. The decision follows a directive from the Council of Torah Sages, which forbade him from leaving his post.
Deri met with Rabbi Moshe Maya, the senior rabbi of the Council, on Wednesday evening. Following the rabbis' ruling, Deri clarified that he would continue to serve as Shas chairman. However, he is expected to resign from his position as a Member of Knesset (MK) concurrently.
The Council of Torah Sages issued an unusual letter, to be published Thursday in the 'Ha'Derech' newspaper, stating that they "strengthen the hands of the movement's chairman and forbid him from leaving his position." The rabbis emphasized that during a "public and political struggle" for the status of Torah scholars, the "most experienced general is needed to lead the campaign." They asserted that according to Halakha and Maimonides, Deri is not permitted to abandon his role mid-struggle.
The letter praised Deri's long-standing activities and declared that Shas would utilize all available means to regulate the status of yeshiva students and halt what they perceive as persecution against Torah scholars. The rabbis also congratulated Shas's 300,000 voters and urged representatives to continue their public activities.
This move by Deri, combining his continued leadership of Shas with a resignation from the Knesset, is intended to allow him to continue guiding the party's political and public affairs from outside the parliament.
