Shas Party Faces Internal Strife After Election Blow

The Shas party is experiencing unprecedented shock and mutual accusations among its leadership following recent election results. The party did not hold an election event, refrained from issuing official statements to activists, and has maintained complete silence. Initial analysis of the ballots reveals a dire situation for the party, with a significant collapse in both traditional cities and staunch Haredi strongholds, where Shas's support dropped by nearly 30%.

An intense internal struggle is underway over responsibility for the failure. Supporters of Chairman Arie Deri blame Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef's strong stance and sharp remarks on the conscription law, arguing it alienated traditional voters and pushed away moderate right-wing voters. Conversely, Rabbi Yosef's camp points fingers at the campaign's management, claiming it was too state-oriented and neglected the Haredi sector, leaving them feeling abandoned and disappointed due to the conscription crisis, sanctions, and the declaration of yeshiva students as draft dodgers.

In closed discussions between Arie Deri and rabbis, an agreement was reached that the campaign's messaging indeed overemphasized the general Israeli public and ignored the pressing concerns of the younger generation within the sector. Amidst the crisis and speculation of further elections, a novel initiative has emerged to halt the decline: the establishment of an official Shas Council of Yeshiva Deans. This council would comprise ten prominent rabbis and directly represent the Sephardic-Haredi public.

According to the discussed plan, this new body would operate alongside the existing Council of Torah Sages, which would focus on maintaining ties with the traditional public. This structure creates a leadership within a leadership, aiming to address the movement's two main constituencies and prevent the erosion of its voter base. Yesterday, the consequences of the election failure became apparent as party figures, particularly from Rabbi Yosef's camp, began planning to consolidate rabbinical control over the party to sideline Deri and reduce his influence. Rabbi Yosef's camp's initial demand is to convene the Council of Torah Sages to discuss the election failure, followed by Rabbi Yosef's demand to officially become the president of the Council of Torah Sages. Sources close to Rabbi Yosef state that Deri's strategy has collapsed, and his attempt to appeal to both traditional Zionist and Haredi publics has failed.