Full coverage· Politics· Updated 04:40

Shas Leader Arie Deri Resigns from Knesset, Remains Party Chairman

Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri announced on Sunday, November 8, 2026, that he is stepping down from his seat in the 26th Knesset. The decision follows a disappointing performance in the October 27 elections, where the Sephardic Haredi party's representation was cut nearly in half, securing only six seats in the 120-member parliament. Despite vacating his parliamentary seat, Deri will remain the chairman of the Shas movement, leading the party and directing its Knesset faction from outside the legislature.

13 newsrooms · 4 languages · since 8 Nov, 16:34

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What happened

01Shas chairman Aryeh Deri resigned his seat in the 26th Knesset on November 8, 2026, but will remain the party's chairman.
02The decision follows the October 27 elections, in which Shas secured only six seats, down from its previous eleven.
03Moshe Abutbul and candidate Dror Amos also resigned from the Shas list, allowing Uriel Buso and Yossi Taieb to enter the Knesset.
04Deri's resignation was approved by the Council of Torah Sages, which rejected his initial bid to step down from the party leadership entirely.
05Deri plans to conduct nationwide tours to rebuild grassroots support while continuing to lead weekly Shas faction meetings from outside parliament.
06According to Ynetnews, Shas has ruled out joining a coalition led by Gadi Eisenkot, though other party sources told Maariv and Al-Shams it remains a possibility.
07Six Shas members will be sworn into the Knesset on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Alongside Deri, Knesset member Moshe Abutbul and candidate Dror Amos, a reserve IDF officer, also resigned from the Shas electoral list. Amos had been placed sixth on the list in an unsuccessful effort to attract military voters, while Abutbul was seventh. Their departures pave the way for Uriel Buso and Yossi Taieb to enter the Knesset. Six Shas representatives are scheduled to be sworn in on Tuesday, November 10.

Deri explained that his resignation, approved by the party's Council of Torah Sages, is intended to make way for younger representatives and allow him to focus on grassroots engagement. He plans to conduct extensive nationwide tours to strengthen direct connections with activists and the public. Deri, who is barred from serving as a government minister due to past corruption convictions, initially sought to resign from the party leadership altogether, but the Council of Torah Sages instructed him to remain at the helm.

While Shas has ruled out joining a potential coalition led by Gadi Eisenkot according to Ynetnews, other sources within the party told Maariv and Al-Shams that they have not entirely ruled out supporting an Eisenkot-led government. Such support, however, would depend on other Haredi parties joining and resolving the issue of military conscription exemptions for yeshiva students.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 13 newsrooms. Updated 05:53