Shas chief Aryeh Deri has expressed concern over the growth of the Religious Zionism party and its effect on the Likud.
In an interview with Merkaz Ha'inyanim, Deri noted the increase in Religious Zionism's support and said, "the Likud is losing Knesset seats at a very high and even concerning rate....at this rate it could be that [Prime Minister Yair] Lapid will stand at the head of a party larger than the Likud."
"I think that the Likud needs to be a large party - [MK Benjamin] Netanyahu must not weaken, it's not good. But this is their problem."
"I do not see that it is happening at Shas' expense," he added. "But it is clear that it comes at the expense of the growth. If you ask why we are not growing, why we do not see this growth in a more prominent fashion - this seems to be one of the reasons."
"I hear, for instance, that Rabbi Medan from Gush Ezion put out a letter to support [Interior Minister] Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home), explaining that if Ayelet Shaked does not pass the electoral threshold, then there is a danger that the bloc will not have 61 [Knesset seats] and then the haredim will join the left."
"You understand, the people he supported - he is the rabbi of [Construction and Housing Minister Ze'ev] Elkin and the Jewish Home, the ones who betrayed their voters, they formed the leftist government. The haredim sat in the opposition for a year and a half, suffering greatly. And now they support Shaked because they are afraid the haredim will work with the left."