Figures within the Shas Party are calling for chairman Aryeh Deri to be removed and for changes to be made in the party's leadership, after results received so far showed Shas falling to just seven Knesset seats, compared to the 11 seats it won in the 2022 elections.
Kan News reported that the loss of four seats has sparked internal criticism over the management of the election campaign and the decisions made throughout it. Some of Deri's critics believe that the party misidentified the main threat to its electoral strength and directed its efforts in the wrong direction.
According to the report, party officials had believed that Itamar Ben Gvir and Otzma Yehudit posed the greatest threat of drawing voters away from Shas. Now, however, some are arguing that the more significant threat actually came from Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud, and that the party's preparations failed to adequately address it.
Another focus of criticism concerns the allocation of resources and attention during the campaign. Shas officials claim that the party concentrated too heavily on efforts to attract support in outlying communities and among traditional Jewish voters, while its haredi electorate, considered the party's core support base, did not receive sufficient attention.
Against this backdrop, calls for a change in leadership are being heard within the party. However, even among Deri's critics, there is little expectation that such a move will actually take place.
One party figure explained the difficulty, saying, "Deri is the sole ruler."
Criticism of the election results has also reached Shas's rabbinical leadership.
Rabbi Moshe Maya, the senior member of the party's Council of Torah Sages, sought to speak with Deri on Wednesday to clarify the circumstances that led to the party's electoral failure.
According to the report, Deri refused to hold the conversation with Rabbi Maya.