Shas Struggles to Understand Election Blow in Bnei Brak

Following the elections, the city of Bnei Brak remained immersed in election fervor, with streets still displaying campaign posters and ballots. The preliminary results, which began to emerge overnight, were a stark contrast for the Shas party, whose chairman, Aryeh Deri, canceled a planned gathering and issued only a written statement. Shas is reportedly struggling to comprehend the "devastating" outcome, having secured only 7 seats after 60% of the votes were counted. Analysts suggest potential reasons for this result include Shas's campaign strategy, which attempted to appeal to both traditional and strictly religious segments of the Haredi public with conflicting messages about military service, and a perception that the party prioritized appointments of relatives to rabbinical and judicial positions over the needs of its constituents.

In contrast, the United Torah Judaism party celebrated its victory, with party chairman Yaakov Asher declaring success for Degel HaTorah and UTJ. The party appears to be benefiting from demographic growth within the Haredi community, which has either boosted its strength or maintained its previous standing. The election day in Bnei Brak was particularly intense, marked by a fierce competition for every vote, amplified by the Haredi public's challenges from recent controversies. Both Shas and UTJ employed traditional methods like rabbinical letters and halachic rulings to encourage voting, but also faced disappointment from young Haredim concerned about their status and sanctions, as well as the rise of new parties like "Tzeva Achad" and "HaTzibur HaHaredi."

Street-level campaigning involved loud pronouncements from rabbis and party songs, with flyers littering the ground. Verbal confrontations were reported, and activists from "HaTzibur Haredi" faced hostility, with their election signs vandalized in Bnei Brak and effigies of chairman Moty Lightner burned in Modi'in Illit. Some voters expressed indifference, stating they voted solely on rabbinical orders. The atmosphere ranged from a sense of "war for everything" to blind obedience or protest votes for new parties. Tensions also flared around booths for Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, which some passersby claimed contradicted rabbinical opinions.

Despite the intense campaigning, shopping centers remained calm, with residents enjoying the day off while emphasizing the importance of voting and party discipline. The controversies of the past term, including the judicial overhaul and conscription debates, may have led some Haredi voters to feel that these struggles did not serve their immediate needs, such as infrastructure improvements in Bnei Brak. Meanwhile, party headquarters were in high gear. Shas's Bnei Brak headquarters, led by chairman Shlomi Haddad, mobilized hundreds of community rabbis for direct voter outreach. The Degel HaTorah headquarters occupied an entire building with hundreds of yeshiva students and Haredi men making calls, supported by a logistics network ensuring the elderly and sick could vote. Leaders also disseminated videos urging votes to prevent desecration of God's name and apathy. Despite relatively low turnout, optimism prevailed in synagogues, with calls for voting after morning studies. A mobile announcement unit urged residents to vote due to low turnout figures. In contrast, the Satmar Hasidic community displayed signs discouraging participation in state elections, countered by signs promising that voting for the "Gimel" ballot would lead to the release of detainees from military prison.