Full coverage· Politics· Updated 4 Nov, 19:49

Shas Council of Torah Sages Forbids Aryeh Deri From Resigning

The Council of Torah Sages of the Shas party has forbidden party chairman Aryeh Deri from resigning his leadership position. Deri had requested to step down and become the president of the movement following the party's decline to six Knesset seats in the recent elections.

3 newsrooms · 1 language · since 4 Nov, 19:40

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What happened

01The Shas Council of Torah Sages has forbidden party chairman Aryeh Deri from resigning his leadership post.
02Aryeh Deri had requested to step down after Shas dropped to six Knesset seats in the recent elections.
03The council rejected Deri's request, calling him the most experienced general needed for the current existential battle.
04The rabbis vowed that Shas will work to regulate the status of yeshiva students and end their alleged persecution.
05The council's decision was announced after blessing the approximately 300,000 Shas voters from the elections.
06Aryeh Deri discussed maintaining the right-wing bloc in a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
07Shas representatives will recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government.

In a letter published in the newspaper Ha'Derech on Wednesday, the council members rejected Deri's request and ordered him to continue leading the party. The rabbis described the current situation as an existential battle, calling Deri the most experienced general needed to lead the campaign and stating that he is not free to relinquish his mission.

The council also declared that Shas will use all means to regulate the status of yeshiva students and end what they defined as their persecution. The decision was announced after the council blessed the approximately 300,000 Shas voters from the last elections.

Following the ruling, Deri spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about preserving the right-wing bloc. Shas representatives are expected to recommend Netanyahu to form the next government.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 19:41

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