Shas Leader Arie Deri Should Make Way for New Generation
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Shas party leader Arie Deri faces political decline after the party's recent election results, securing only six Knesset seats. Once a powerful social movement, Shas has become a struggling Haredi party, losing its broader appeal due to "Haredization" and an unwavering alliance with Benjamin Netanyahu. The article argues that Deri's influence has waned, and a new generation is needed to rebuild the party from its current low point.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Shas party leader Arie Deri faces political decline after the party secured only six Knesset seats in the recent election.
- The party has transformed from a broad social movement into a struggling Haredi establishment party.
- Shas has lost tens of thousands of voters due to an accelerated "Haredization" process, alienating its traditional base.
- Arie Deri's unwavering alliance with Benjamin Netanyahu has weakened Shas's strategic position and negotiating power.
- The article suggests Deri's era of control is ending, with calls for new leadership to rebuild the party.
Arie Deri, the leader of the Shas party, is facing significant political decline, having transformed the party from a major social movement into a classic Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) establishment party struggling for survival. The party's recent electoral performance, securing only six Knesset seats, is seen as a stark indicator of Deri's diminished influence and his potential status as a political liability.
During its peak under the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Shas was a powerful social force, garnering 17 seats and becoming a dominant voice for Mizrahi (Sephardic) and peripheral communities. Even with 11 seats in the previous election, it remained a stable bloc within the right-wing bloc. The loss of tens of thousands of voters signifies a profound failure, indicating that Shas has lost its broader public appeal and is now a small, sectoral party fighting to cross the electoral threshold.
The article attributes Shas's decline to an accelerated "Haredization" process, shifting its focus from its original broad base of traditional and disenfranchised voters to internal Haredi affairs and budgets. This alienated the wider traditional public, many of whom have now moved to parties like Likud and Otzma Yehudit. The modern Mizrahi youth, the piece argues, seeks a blend of tradition with economic opportunity, quality employment, and societal integration, a vision Shas is perceived as failing to represent, remaining stuck in a past era.
Deri's unwavering alliance with Benjamin Netanyahu and the right-wing bloc has also weakened Shas's strategic position, making it a guaranteed supporter for Likud rather than a sought-after ally. This has eroded its ability to negotiate effectively and its unique political standing.
The electoral results are seen as a devastating blow to Deri's personal brand as a shrewd political operator. The myth of his political genius is crumbling as he leads the party to its lowest point. The article suggests that Deri's era of unchecked control is ending, and internal pressure from Shas's Council of Torah Sages and senior officials is likely to mount, demanding accountability, limitations on his power, and an opening for younger leadership.
Faced with this crisis, Deri must choose between continuing to blame external factors and potentially leading Shas below the electoral threshold, or acknowledging the failure, relinquishing control, and allowing a new generation to rebuild the party.
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