Shas (political party)

Shas (political party)
Name	Shas
Native name	ש״ס
Leader	Aryeh Deri
Founded	1984
Position	Right-wing to far-right
Religious affiliation	Ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Judaism
Country	Israel

Shas (political party) Shas is an Israeli political party formed to represent Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the Knesset, combining religious advocacy, social welfare, and conservative stances. Founded in the 1980s, it has participated in numerous coalition governments under leaders such as Aryeh Deri and Eliyahu Yosef, shaping policy on religion and state matters, social benefits, and education. The party maintains alliances and rivalries with parties including Likud, Labor, United Torah Judaism, Yamina, and Yesh Atid.

History

Shas emerged in 1984 from movements tied to the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, the Council of Torah Sages, and activists responding to tensions highlighted by events like the Israeli Black Panthers protests and socioeconomic disparities in development towns such as Ramat Gan and Beersheba. Founders included figures connected to the Shinui era and the rabbinate, drawing on networks around rabbis such as Ovadia Yosef and activists from communities in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. The party's early electoral breakthroughs occurred in the 1984 and 1988 elections, negotiating coalition agreements with Likud and influencing appointments in ministries like Religious Affairs and the Interior. Through the 1990s and 2000s Shas navigated scandals, leadership changes involving Aryeh Deri and Eliyahu Zaken, and shifts in alliances with Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ehud Barak. The party played roles in key national moments including discussions after the Oslo Accords and during the Second Intifada, while adapting to demographic changes among Sephardi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, and newer immigrant communities from Morocco, Iraq, and Yemen.

Ideology and Platform

Shas's platform blends Sephardic Ultra-Orthodox Judaism positions with populist social policies, advocating for funding of yeshivot, religious courts like the rabbinical courts, and protections tied to holy sites such as Har HaBayit. Its ideological allies and opponents include United Torah Judaism, Agudat Yisrael, Likud, and Meretz, reflecting disputes over issues such as national service, Halakha, and civil marriage handled by the Chief Rabbinate. Economically the party champions welfare measures benefiting residents of periphery cities like Sderot and Kiryat Gat, often coordinating with ministers from Finance and Social Affairs. On security and territorial issues, Shas has shown pragmatic positions aligned at times with right-wing stances during coalitions with leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu.

Political Organization and Leadership

Shas operates under a dual structure combining a political bureau and a religious adjudicatory body, the Council of Torah Sages, which includes senior rabbis connected to institutions such as Porat Yosef Yeshiva and synagogues in Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda and neighborhoods like Ma'alot Dafna. Political leaders have included Aryeh Deri, Eliyahu Yosef, and other Knesset members who liaise with ministers from portfolios such as Education and Interior. The party's municipal apparatus engages with city councils in Beersheba, Ashdod, and Netivot, coordinating election campaigns with activists from factions associated with religious Zionist entities like Mizrachi and international networks including organizations in France, Argentina, and United States Sephardic communities.

Electoral Performance

Shas's Knesset representation has varied, winning double-digit seats in elections such as 1999 and facing declines in contests like 2015 and rebounds in others such as 2020. The party has been a kingmaker in coalition formations involving leaders like Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert, and Benjamin Netanyahu, leveraging ministries and budget allocations through bargaining in the Knesset and affecting laws debated in committees including the Finance Committee and Education Committee. Voter bases originate from neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, sectors of Jerusalem, and development towns populated by immigrants from Morocco, Iran, and Ethiopia.

Policies and Legislative Influence

Shas has advanced legislation increasing budgets for yeshivot, child allowances administered via the National Insurance Institute, and measures strengthening the authority of the Chief Rabbinate. It has influenced appointment processes for positions in ministries such as Religious Services and shaped curricula through the Education system, affecting textbooks and funding for religious schools in areas like Bnei Brak and Rehovot. In coalition negotiations Shas has secured social benefit packages impacting retirees and families in periphery areas, and participated in debates over judicial nominations discussed in the Supreme Court of Israel and parliamentary oversight by the Knesset House Committee.

Controversies and Legal Issues

Shas has faced high-profile controversies including corruption investigations and trials involving leaders such as Aryeh Deri, which prompted legal proceedings in courts like the Tel Aviv District Court and appeals at the Supreme Court of Israel. Accusations have involved campaign finance, patronage networks in municipalities like Beersheba, and disputes with secular parties including Shinui over religious coercion and public funding. Internal conflicts between political figures and the Council of Torah Sages have led to schisms and public disagreements involving rabbis tied to institutions such as Porat Yosef.

Social and Cultural Impact

Culturally, Shas has elevated Sephardic religious heritage through support for yeshivot, synagogues, and festivals in neighborhoods like Jerusalem's Kiryat HaYovel and Haifa's historic quarters, promoting liturgical traditions linked to communities from Iraq, Syria, and Morocco. The party has influenced media portrayals in Israeli outlets such as Haaretz, Yedioth Ahronoth, and The Jerusalem Post, and affected social policy debates on integration of Ethiopian Jews and education for children of immigrants from Russia and Ukraine. Its role in politics has shaped discussions on identity, representation, and the balance between religious authority and civil institutions across Israeli society.

Category:Political parties in Israel Category:Sephardi Jewish culture in Israel