Shas leader Deri says rightist coalition is the priority, before adding others

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri celebrates the party’s nine-seat showing in exit polls.

“Blessed are You, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion,” says Deri at the opening of his remarks in front of hundreds of supporters after exit polls indicated a strong showing for his ultra-Orthodox party and right-wing bloc.

“Tomorrow, we right-wing faction heads will sit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and we will carry out the will of the nation and immediately establish a coalition,” Deri continues. “This is what the nation decided today, and overwhelmingly so.”

Deri says he is willing to eventually include other non-traditional partners in the coalition but that the first priority is to immediately form a rightist-Haredi government.

“Our offering to God [for this victory] is that we will return tomorrow to the yeshivas and learn all the way through the Purim holiday,” he says to some tepid cheers from the crowd of young supporters.

— Jacob Magid