Shas Seeks Military-Experienced Candidate to Strengthen Traditional Voter Base Ahead of Elections
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Shas leader Aryeh Deri is seeking a military-experienced candidate to join the party list ahead of elections, aiming to strengthen ties with traditional voters and soldiers after recent retirements and a controversial campaign video.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Shas is looking for a candidate with military experience for its upcoming election list.
- The search follows retirements of MKs Moshe Arbel and expected Yaakov Margi.
- The party wants to connect more with traditional voters and soldiers.
- A recent Shas campaign video featuring a soldier's family sparked political backlash.
- The Central Elections Committee ordered the video removed due to controversy.
- Shas aims to convert outreach efforts into electoral gains with a military-linked candidate.
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri is searching for a candidate with a military background to join the party's list for the upcoming elections, according to a report by i24NEWS. This move comes as Shas prepares for changes in its lineup following the retirement of Moshe Arbel and the expected departure of veteran MK Yaakov Margi. The party aims to reinforce its connection with the traditional public while highlighting a significant link to military service.
The initiative also has campaign implications, as Shas seeks to broaden its appeal beyond the ultra-Orthodox community to include traditional voters and soldiers. This follows controversy over a recent Shas election video depicting a traditional family awaiting a soldier's return for Sabbath, which claimed that over 30,000 soldiers and reservists voted for Shas in the last elections. The video faced sharp criticism from political circles and social media, partly due to the party's rabbis' stance on military conscription, leading the Central Elections Committee chairman, Judge Noam Solberg, to order its removal.
Now, Shas appears to be translating its outreach efforts into its candidate roster by incorporating a military-experienced figure to help secure the traditional vote in the upcoming electoral contest.
