Shas Party Launches Pro-Soldier Campaign Amid Poll Decline and Faces Legal Challenge

The Shas party has shifted its campaign strategy to appeal to soldiers and their families following a sharp drop in poll support to seven Knesset seats. The new campaign video, released on August 22, depicts a soldier returning home and praising his brother studying in a yeshiva, highlighting the party's claim that over 30,000 soldiers voted for Shas in the last election. This move contrasts with Shas's previous stance opposing the conscription of Haredi Jews, including statements by party leaders and rabbis against army enlistment.

The campaign sparked controversy and a legal challenge from the Yisrael party, led by Gadi Eizenkot, who sent a warning letter accusing Shas of illegal election propaganda by using the image of IDF soldiers and implying military endorsement. Yisrael demanded the immediate removal of the video, citing violations of election laws prohibiting the use of the IDF in political advertising and premature use of party symbols. Following this, Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Solberg ordered Shas and party leader Aryeh Deri to remove the video from all social media platforms and respond to the petition within two days.

Shas defended the campaign, stating it represents the reality of many families with both soldiers and Torah scholars and denied any use of official IDF symbols. The party criticized Eizenkot for supporting Mansour Abbas and the Muslim Brotherhood, accusing him of undermining Israel's Jewish character. The campaign is part of a broader effort led by advisor Israel Bachar to reposition Shas as a party that integrates religious faith with support for soldiers, aiming to regain lost voters from both traditional and more religious factions.

This strategic pivot follows internal tensions between Deri and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the party's spiritual leader, who demands stricter adherence to anti-conscription policies. Despite the campaign, Shas acknowledges the difficulty of restoring its previous strength of 11 seats but remains hopeful. The party also faces a separate warning from the Noam party over the use of a campaign slogan. Deri expressed confidence that Shas will outperform the polls ahead of the elections.