Full coverage· Politics· Updated 29 Oct, 15:47

Israel Election Results Show No Clear Majority, Shas Suffers Historic Low

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party, led by Arieh Deri, is facing its worst election results in 35 years following the 26th Knesset elections. With approximately 85.6% of the votes tallied, the party has secured 257,898 votes, a sharp drop from the 392,964 votes it received in 2022. This decline represents a loss of over 100,000 voters and at least four Knesset seats, leaving Shas with its lowest vote count since 2019.

5 newsrooms · 3 languages · since 28 Oct, 15:43

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Israel Election Results Show No Clear Majority, Shas Suffers Historic Low — Illustration by baba

What happened

01The Shas party is facing its worst election results in 35 years, securing only 257,898 votes compared to 392,964 in 2022.
02Shas has lost over 100,000 voters and at least four Knesset seats, potentially dropping to a historic low of six seats.
03United Torah Judaism leads Shas by 18,600 votes, holding 276,498 votes and signaling a shift in ultra-Orthodox power dynamics.
04Shas's support in Bnei Brak fell to 25.03%, in Elad to 39.11%, and in Jerusalem to 13.95%.
05Support for Shas in traditional communities also declined, with Nativot dropping to 28.70% and Sderot to 7.20%.
06Otzma Yehudit, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, is gaining ground in areas where Shas's support has traditionally been strong.
07The poor electoral performance has left Shas outside the emerging government coalition, leading to calls for Arieh Deri's resignation.

According to Kipa, Shas currently stands at seven Knesset seats but fears losing another to finish with only six, which would match its historic low from the 1992 elections. Meanwhile, United Torah Judaism is holding firm and leading Shas with 276,498 votes, a difference of 18,600 votes. This shift in the vote count signals a potential change in the balance of power between the two ultra-Orthodox parties, while Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party is gaining ground in areas where Shas was traditionally strong.

Data shows a significant decrease in Shas's support across its traditional strongholds. In Bnei Brak, the party's vote share fell from 30.17% to 25.03%, while Elad saw a drop from 49.62% to 39.11%, and Jerusalem decreased from 18.31% to 13.95%. Support also plummeted in Beitar Illit, Rekhasim, and traditional communities such as Sderot, Nativot, and Ofakim. These results leave Shas outside the emerging government coalition, prompting calls within the Haredi community for Arieh Deri's resignation.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 28 Oct, 22:28

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