Knesset Exit: Shas Leader Steps Down After Seat Loss

Arye Deri will leave the Israeli parliament after his Shas party lost five seats in the recent election. The party chairman announced on Sunday that he is withdrawing from the list for the 26th Knesset. He will no longer serve as a member of parliament. Deri said he intends to remain as party chairman. He plans to continue guiding the party's strategy and its coalition talks.

The loss marked the party's lowest seat count in more than twenty years. Shas won six seats in the October 27 election. The party previously held 11 seats in the last Knesset. The drop reflects a sharp decline in support for the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox group. Internal criticism of Deri's leadership and the party's stance on military conscription likely contributed to the result.

Yinon Azoulay will take the first spot on the party list. Deri said he sought approval from the Council of Torah Sages to give up his seat. He cited a desire to make room for younger members who have shown skill in parliamentary work. Two other candidates also stepped down from the list. Dror Amos and Moshe Abutbul, who held the sixth and seventh positions, withdrew. Uriel Busso and Yosef Taieb will now take those places.

Amos's departure is notable because he served in the IDF for 25 years. He retired as a lieutenant colonel. His presence on the list had signaled a strategic shift for the party. During the campaign, Shas faced criticism over its position on conscripting ultra-Orthodox men. The military is facing a severe manpower crisis. Deri said he will conduct tours across the country to strengthen ties with activists and the public.

Deri committed to convening the Shas faction weekly. He will closely monitor legislative and committee work. He said he intends to serve as chairman under the guidance of the party's rabbis. The goal is to restore the party's former standing and safeguard the Jewish identity of the State of Israel. This announcement comes days after the Council of Torah Sages initially rejected his request to step down as leader. The council had forbidden him from leaving his post in the movement.

Deri accepted that directive last week and remained chairman. Ahead of the election, he pushed for legislation regulating the military service of yeshiva students. He made this a condition for Shas joining any future government. Critics argued that such measures would not address the military's reliance on reservists. The opposition bloc has shown openness to partnering with ultra-Orthodox parties.

Shas has not declared an intention to join that bloc. Instead, the party recommended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu form the next government. This contrasts with United Torah Judaism. That party abstained from recommending a candidate to President Isaac Herzog. Deri has held various ministerial portfolios in his career. These include Interior, Economy, Negev and Galilee Development, and Health.

The High Court ruled in 2023 that Deri was ineligible for the cabinet. The ruling was based on criminal convictions. He was previously convicted of bribery in 1999 and tax offenses in 2022.