Shas Condemns New Right-Wing Parties for Excluding Ultra-Orthodox Jews

The Shas party's newspaper, "Bederech," published a sharp editorial on Thursday attacking new right-wing political initiatives and opposition leaders for attempting to form a government that excludes the ultra-Orthodox community. The article accuses figures such as Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eizenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan of uniting around the idea of a "Zionist government without Haredim." It specifically targets emerging "value right" parties involving politicians like Hili Tropper, Yoaz Hendel, Gilad Erdan, Yuli Edelstein, and Ayelet Shaked, claiming their goal is to shift toward the political center and distance themselves from the religious-Haredi bloc.

The editorial criticizes Eizenkot's political rise as fueled by hatred toward the Haredi community rather than substantive policy, accuses Bennett of turning his platform into a campaign of incitement against Torah scholars due to political desperation, and condemns Lieberman and Golan for their harsh rhetoric against the religious public. The article states that hatred of the Haredi sector has become a highly sought-after political commodity. It concludes by asserting that all parties calling for national unity are in fact united only in excluding the ultra-Orthodox, quoting the rabbinic saying "All who oppress Israel become their leaders," and urging the Haredi public to remain steadfast in faith and confidence amid this political wave.