Shas head Aryeh Deri
Shas head Aryeh DeriYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Speaking on Radio Kol Berama on Sunday, Shas party head Aryeh Deri stressed that the coming government would be one formed by the right-wing bloc and that its members would learn the lessons to be gleaned from the current government.

"We've learned a thing or two from the outgoing government," Deri told his interviewer. "Of course, they had the help of the government's legal advisers, which we won't have, but we're not going to worry about headlines. We're not going to pay attention to what they say about us, and we're not going to apologize. When there are headlines attacking the haredi sector, I'll ask the journalist: Do you really care about this issue? Does this bother you? So let it bother you."

Deri also stressed that his party would not be giving opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu a free pass. "For three years, I've been holding the right-wing bloc together," he said. "When we're in power, I will also have a say. Together, [the haredi parties] command between 16 and 18 seats. If [Avigdor] Liberman with his [seven] seats can be Finance Minister and Bennett [with six seats] could be Prime Minister, then we can certainly ask for basic things."

Deri then promised that, "Once we form a government, in its very first week I will abolish all the decrees, all the politically-motivated taxes such as those on disposable goods, on sweetened drinks... We will do everything with full coalition agreement," he added.

"Around 250 thousand people didn't come out to vote for the right-wing parties in the last round of elections," Deri continued. "Those are people who would ordinarily vote for Shas, for UTJ, and even for the Likud. But after this dreadful year, there's every reason for them to come out and vote and we will be working toward that goal. I call on the rabbis to encourage all those who respect tradition to come out and vote," he concluded.