Eli Yishai Returns to Politics, Considers Alliance with New Haredi Party

Eli Yishai, former chairman of the Shas party for 14 years, is making a political comeback by exploring a potential alliance with the new Haredi party "The Haredi Public." This party advocates for genuine enlistment of Haredi men who do not study in yeshivas and aims to represent working Haredim. Several meetings have recently taken place between Yishai and representatives of the new party as they seriously consider running together in upcoming elections.

Political sources believe that a joint run between Yishai and "The Haredi Public" could be a winning combination, potentially attracting voters disillusioned with Shas's current leadership, as reflected in recent polls. However, Yishai's positions differ from Shas on issues such as military conscription and other matters. This is not Yishai's first attempt at independent political activity; in 2014, after being ousted from Shas, he ran with the "Yachad" party alongside Rabbi Mazuz but failed to cross the electoral threshold despite receiving 125,000 votes.

The final decision on the alliance has not yet been made. Both Yishai and representatives of "The Haredi Public" declined to comment when approached. The development signals a potential reshaping of the Haredi political landscape ahead of the next elections.