Netanyahu defends Shas party chair as Deri faces uncertain political future

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday expressed support for under-fire Shas party chair Aryeh Deri, amid reports the ultra-Orthodox politician has not spoken to Netanyahu or other political figures outside of his party since the October 27 general election.

“Aryeh Deri has stood firm for years in the face of the unrestrained attacks by the media and the left, who want to crush Shas,” Netanyahu said in a statement, accusing what he termed “the left” of hypocrisy.

“Aryeh Deri and Shas are important partners of mine and of the right-wing bloc in leading the country, and Aryeh Deri contributes greatly to Israel’s security in the cabinet,” the statement said.

Shas, the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox party, won six seats in the election, down from 11 in 2022, its worst outcome since 1992,  raising questions about whether Deri would remain as the party’s leader.

The statement also comes amid reports that some ultra-Orthodox factions are considering breaking from Netanyahu and could even support a potential coalition headed by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot.

However, following Netanyahu’s statement, Shas sources told Hebrew media that the party would recommend Netanyahu to President Isaac Herzog as the lawmaker who should be tasked with forming the next government.

Before the election, Deri declared that the party would not join or support the next government unless it passes legislation preserving sweeping military service exemptions for Haredi yeshiva students.

Netanyahu’s government failed to pass such an exemption law during its four-year term, instead passing a temporary measure to ban the arrest of Haredi draft evaders, which was later frozen by the High Court of Justice.

Deri has also reportedly been on a collision course with the party’s spiritual leader Yitzhak Yosef after leading the ultra-Orthodox faction to one of its worst election results.

Figures within Shas, including Yosef, reportedly began tentative steps last Wednesday to remove Deri from his post, Channel 13 and the Kan public broadcaster reported.

Yosef and his associates were preparing to request the convening of Shas’s rabbinical body, the Council of Torah Sages, to discuss the disappointing election results, according to the reports.

Shas sources told Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israel’s Hebrew-language sister site, that Deri has not decided whether to resign as Shas chair. Deri himself has not responded to inquiries on the matter.

Senior figures in the party expressed concern that his resignation could fracture the party.

“If he leaves, then everything will fall apart completely – because despite the severe defeat in the election, Deri still holds the entire structure together,” Tzuriel Krispel, a founder of the party and former mayor of Elad, told Zman Israel.