Shas rabbis to meet at 4:30 p.m to decide on quitting government

By Sam Sokol 16 July 2025, 2:51 pm

Edit

Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef at a press conference in Jerusalem, June 8, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party announces that its ruling Council of Torah Sages will meet this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in Jerusalem to hold a previously announced discussion regarding the party’s future participation in the government and coalition.

The council’s decision will be made public following the meeting, a party spokesman says.

Shas announced yesterday that “following the serious and unacceptable harm to the status of Torah scholars” brought about by the current government, its ruling Council of Torah Sages would meet for “a crucial discussion regarding [the party’s] continued path in the government.”

Shas party newspaper HaDerech blamed the crisis on what it called “Likud and Edelstein’s blatant violation of agreements on the law regulating the status of yeshiva students.”

Fellow Haredi party United Torah Judaism quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition Monday night after being presented with a copy of a proposed enlistment bill prepared by Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein, which it argued violated the terms of a compromise that was reached by the two sides last month when an effort was being made to prevent the Haredi parties from toppling the government ahead of the war with Iran.

According to media reports, Shas is expected to follow UTJ’s lead and exit the coalition.