The former press advisor for the Shas Party, Itzik Sudry, has taken on a paid position with Opposition Leader Binyamin Netanyahu, leader of the Likud Party. Considered to have the ear of Shas spiritual leader of Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, Sudry is working to ensure that Shas does not join the government coalition that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is trying to form.
If Shas does not join, Livni will likely be faced with the choice of presenting a flimsy and narrow government based on her Kadima Party and Labor, or declare new elections - in which Netanyahu and his Likud party are expected to win.
Most of Shas's support comes from Likud-sympathizers. Shas voters largely oppose Livni's plan to negotiate an agreement with the Palestinian Authority that will cost Israel eastern Jerusalem and nearly all of Judea and Samaria.
Globes reports that Sudry, who took on his new post with Netanyahu "recently," also has a family connection with Rabbi Yosef.
Netanyahu has recently opined that Shas would not join a Livni government, but it was not made clear whether this was just wishful thinking on his part, or based on inside information from figures within Shas - such as Sudry.
Sources close to Livni have accused Shas of making a deal with Netanyahu, but Shas had denied this.
The Issues
The obstacles blocking Shas from joining the government are financial. Shas has demanded the restoration of most National Insurance Institutue child-allowance payments - which, ironically, were cut when Netanyahu was Finance Minister. Livni and most of her Kadima party show little eagerness to come towards Shas on this matter.