Smotrich Blocks Appointment of Dozens of Community Rabbis, Sparking Rift with Shas

A new conflict has erupted between Shas and the Religious Zionism party over the appointment of community rabbis across Israel. Ahead of the elections, Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich agreed to advance the appointment of about 60 rabbis nationwide. However, the entire process is now stalled because Smotrich refuses to grant the necessary approvals to complete the appointments.

The core of the dispute centers on rabbi appointments in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Religious Zionism insists on including additional appointments in this region as part of the overall plan, while Shas argues that the requested appointments cannot proceed at this stage due to technical reasons. Religious Zionism has drawn a firm line, stating that partial advancement is unacceptable: "Either there are appointments in Judea and Samaria, or there are no appointments at all," party sources said.

This confrontation is not isolated. Just hours earlier, Religious Zionism blocked Shas's final approval of the kosher law in the Public Projects Committee chaired by MK Ohad Tal, indicating escalating tensions between the two parties.