Shas
Shas (
Hebrew: ש"ס) is an
Israeli
political party representing mostly
Haredi Sephardi Jews. The original name of Shas is the
The International World Sephardic Association [of] Torah Keepers (
Hebrew: "תאח"ות "ספר"ים "עולמית שומרי תור").
As a result of the
2006 elections, Shas has 12 seats in the Knesset and is tied with
Likud for the third-highest number of seats. Following the election, Shas joined the governing coalition and holds four cabinet posts. Its current leader,
Eli Yishai, is a deputy prime minister.
Shas was founded in
1984 prior to the
1984 election, through the merger of regional lists established in 1983. The party was formed under the leadership of
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef (a former Israeli
Chief rabbi), who remains its spiritual leader today. In founding the party, Rabbi Yosef received strategic help and guidance from Rabbi
Elazar Shach (1898-2001), the leader of Israel's non-Hasidic Haredi
Ashkenazi Jews (known as the "
Mitnagdim" by some.)
The party was mired in scandal after the indictment and subsequent conviction and imprisonment of its former party leader,
Aryeh Deri, on corruption charges in 1999. While Rabbi Yosef distanced the party from Deri and installed Yishai as the new party head, many Shas voters saw Deri as the victim of a
racist political witch-hunt and continue to support him.
Following Deri's conviction, Shas gained 17 seats in the
election of 1999, its strongest showing since its formation. Its strength was reduced to 11 seats in the
2003 election, and in the 2006 elections it added one seat for a total of 12 in the current Knesset.
Shas is known for its opposition to removal of religious functions and restrictions of the state, and support for generous social payments. Its views on policy toward the
Palestinians has been relatively flexible, thus often allowing it to control the balance of power between Israel's larger parties,
Labour and
Likud, now joined by
Kadima.
Twelve Shas candidates were elected to the 17th Knesset:
#
Eli Yishai#
Yitzhak Cohen#
Amnon Cohen#
Meshulam Nahari#
Ariel Atias#
Shlomo Benizri#
David Azoulay#
Yitzhak Vaknin#
Nissim Ze'ev#
Ya'akov Margi#
Chaim Amsalam#
Avraham MichaeliShas is part of the current governing coalition, installed on May 4, 2006, which also includes the larger Kadima and Labour parties, and the smaller Gil party. In the new government, Shas party leader Yishai is Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, and Deputy Prime Minister. Also in the cabiner are Atiyas as Minister of Communications, and Nahari and Yitzhak Cohen as Ministers Without Portfolio.
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Shas party website*
All the Israeli political parties.
