Politics · Other · 1 hr ago
Shas leader Aryeh Deri to leave Knesset but remain party chair
Aryeh Deri is leaving Israel’s Knesset, but will remain chair of Shas, the country’s Sephardic Haredi party.
Shas fell from 11 seats to six in the October 27 election, its worst result in three decades.
Deri had also sought to resign as party chair, but Shas’s Council of Torah Sages rejected that move.
The council wants him to lead the party’s campaign for military service exemptions for Haredi yeshiva students.
Deri said he would focus on party work outside parliament while continuing to guide Shas’s lawmakers.
Two other Shas politicians are also leaving the party slate, clearing the way for Uriel Buso and Yossi Taieb to enter the Knesset.
The changes come as Shas faces an uncertain future after its election losses and amid a weakened governing coalition.
Aryeh Deri is stepping down from Israel’s Knesset while remaining chairman of the Shas party.
The move follows Shas’s loss of five seats in the October 27 election, leaving it with six.
The party’s Council of Torah Sages rejected Deri’s earlier attempt to resign as chairman.
Deri said he would continue leading the party but would not serve in parliament.
Shas politicians Dror Amos and Moshe Abutbul are also leaving the party slate.
- Who
- Aryeh Deri, chairman of Shas.
- What
- He is leaving the Knesset while remaining party chairman.
- When
- He announced the decision on Monday; the article was published on November 8, 2026.
- Where
- Israel’s Knesset.
- Why
- The decision followed Shas’s poor election result. The party’s Council of Torah Sages wants Deri to lead its efforts to secure military service exemptions for Haredi yeshiva students.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Shas won six seats, down from 11, in the election.
Deri sought to resign as party chairman, but the Council of Torah Sages rejected his resignation.
Deri said he would leave the Knesset but continue to lead Shas.
- Shas seats after election
- 6, down from 11
- Election date
- October 27
- Deri’s party role
- Chairman
- Other departures
- Dror Amos and Moshe Abutbul
- Incoming Shas lawmakers
- Uriel Buso and Yossi Taieb
What people are saying
with full vigor
In light of the many missions and challenges we face, it is my intention to travel the length and breadth of the country, to strengthen the [party’s] direct and close bonds on the ground with representatives, activists and the public,