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

The Shas party has shifted its campaign strategy to appeal to Israeli soldiers and their families following a sharp drop in poll support to seven Knesset seats. The new campaign video features 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 service.

The campaign sparked a legal challenge from the Yisrael party, led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, which sent a warning letter accusing Shas of illegal election propaganda by implying IDF endorsement and using soldiers in the video. Yisrael demanded the immediate removal of the video, citing violations of election laws prohibiting the use of the military in campaign materials and premature use of party symbols. Following this, Central Election Committee Chair 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 political rivals and accused him of undermining Israel's Jewish identity. The campaign is part of a broader effort led by advisor Israel Bachar to reposition Shas as a party that integrates religious faith with national service, aiming to regain voters lost to both hardline Haredi factions and more moderate traditionalists.

The party faces internal tensions, with Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef demanding Deri's full submission to the rabbinical council, while Deri resists ceding control. Despite the campaign, Shas acknowledges the difficulty of restoring its previous 11-seat strength but remains hopeful. The party also faces a separate warning from the Noam party over the use of a contested campaign slogan. Deri recently expressed confidence that Shas will outperform polls, emphasizing the party's enduring significance.