Unprecedented turmoil among Shas leadership as senior figures accuse Deri of staging resignation stunt
Shas is engulfed in an unprecedented internal crisis just days after the results of the 26th Knesset elections dealt the party a crushing blow, cutting its representation from 11 seats to just six. The party is now caught in a deepening power struggle marked by succession battles, despair and open anger directed at chairman Aryeh Deri.
The storm intensified over the weekend when Deri visited Rabbi Pinchas Abuhatzeira at his home in Beersheba. According to a report by Moti Kastel on Channel 14, Deri continued telling those around him, both at his host's home and at the synagogue, that he was seriously considering stepping down as Shas leader.
Senior party figures reacted with anger and deep suspicion. Speaking to Channel 14, they sharply criticized Deri, saying: "Instead of saying, 'I made mistakes and failed, and I am taking responsibility,' he is briefing people that he wants to resign, just so they will supposedly persuade him not to."
Those figures warn that Deri is attempting to recreate the 2014 resignation stunt. At the time, following the publication of a scathing recording in which Rabbi Ovadia Yosef z"l criticized him, Deri hastily issued dramatic resignation and farewell letters. The move prompted a procession of rabbis to his home and ultimately led to the formal rejection of his resignation.
Now, Shas insiders make clear that grassroots activists are furious and want the man who led the party to defeat to step aside rather than count on the public's short memory.
The growing internal anger comes against the backdrop of Shas's weakest election result in decades, returning the party to the meager representation it had in 1992 and leaving it far behind the record 17 seats it won in 1999.
According to a report in Yedioth Ahronoth, Deri, who has largely stayed out of the public eye since the final election results were announced, is currently weighing several options for his political future. These range from a complete withdrawal from political life and the appointment of new leadership, to resigning from the Knesset while continuing to run the party from behind the scenes, or assuming the title of "party president" with ultimate authority while another figure serves as chairman.
Alongside the fierce criticism, some within the party are working to prevent further upheaval. In recent days, rabbis have visited Deri at his home to offer encouragement, while an initiative is underway to publish a public letter of support for his continued leadership, drafted by Rabbi Moshe Maya, the senior member of the Council of Torah Sages.
Will the historic defeat bring the Deri era in Shas to an end, or are these moves simply designed to pave the way for his continued leadership? The coming days may determine the party's future.