Aryeh Deri
Aryeh DeriEsti Desiubov/TPS

Shas chairman and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri made clear on Monday that, if it is up to him, the right-wing bloc will be retained even after the elections to the 23rd Knesset which are scheduled for March 2.

“I'll continue to maintain the right-wing bloc I set up. Already after the elections, I recognized that within the Likud there are some who are running against the Prime Minister who was elected by the public, so immediately after the elections I established the bloc. The right-wing will continue to be united. Liberman is to blame for the entire situation we are in," Deri said in an interview with Army Radio.

Even though Shas' interest is for the party to win additional seats, as the polls suggest would happen if Gideon Sa'ar heads the Likud, Deri said he believes Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should continue to lead the Likud.

"The general public in Israel wants Prime Minister Netanyahu. He is the man who brings the most seats as Likud leader. All the polls show that if Gideon Sa'ar heads the Likud, Shas will get 11 seats, so I should have an interest in Sa'ar, but I tell you: Only Netanyahu can unite the right,” he said.

"Netanyahu is in the fight of his life and he has the presumption of innocence. He can legally serve as Prime Minister and most of the public wants him, I will not let anyone replace him. Only the court can decide in his cases. Evet Liberman was certain that Netanyahu would be ousted within a week," continued Deri.

Deri addressed the incitement against the haredim and said, “All this incitement against a halakhic state is false, malicious and racist. It is all intended to gather some votes. I heard today about a deputy mayor of Haifa from Yisrael Beytenu, how he incites against the haredim. People like that incite against a sector which numbers a million people in Israel just to get a few votes and cause hatred among the people.”