| Shas ש״ס |
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|---|---|
| Leader | Eli Yishai |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Jerusalem, Israel |
| Ideology | Yalkut Yosef Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi Judaism Populism Religious conservatism |
| International affiliation | Various Sephardi Batei Dinim, American/World Sephardic Federation, World Zionist Organization. |
| Knesset |
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| Election symbol | |
| שס | |
| Website | |
| www.shasnet.org.il | |
| Politics of Israel Political parties Elections |
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Shas (Hebrew: ש״ס, an acronym for Sephardim Shomrei Torah, lit. Sephardi Torah Guardians) is an ultra-orthodox religious political party in Israel.[1] Founded in 1984 under the leadership of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardi chief rabbi, who remains its spiritual leader today, it primarily represents the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews.[2]
Originally a small ethnic political group, Shas is currently Israel's fourth largest party in the Knesset, and, according to The Jewish Daily Forward, “the unchallenged kingmaker of Israeli politics”.[3] It has joined several coalition governments with both Labor and Likud since 1984.[1] In Benjamin Netanyahu′s present coalition government the party holds four cabinet posts.
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Shas was founded in 1984 prior to the elections to the eleventh Knesset in the same year, in protest over the small representation of Sephardim in the largely Ashkenazi Agudat Yisrael,[2] through the merger of regional lists established in 1983. It was originally known as The Worldwide Sephardic Association of Torah Guardians (Hebrew: התאחדות הספרדים העולמית שומרי תורה, Hitahdut HaSfaradim HaOlamit Shomrei Torah). The party was formed under the leadership of former Israeli chief Sephardi rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who established a seven-member Council of Torah Sages and remains the party's spiritual leader today. In founding the party, Yosef received strategic help and guidance from rabbi Elazar Shach, the leader of Israel's non-Hasidic Haredi Ashkenazi Jews.[4]
The stated purpose of the party is to “return the crown to the former glory”, and to repair what it sees as the “continued economic and social discrimination against the Sephardic population of Israel”.[5] Focusing on the needs of Sephardic Orthodox Israelis, Shas established its own government-funded education system called El ha-Ma'ayan, which became popular in poor Sephardic towns, increasing the party’s popular support.[3] A strong advocate of Halakha, the Jewish religious law, Shas follows an extreme policy on issues of religion and state, and actively engages in the Baal teshuva movement, encouraging non-Orthodox Israelis of Sephardic and Mizrahi-Jewish heritage to adopt an ultra-Orthodox Jewish lifestyle.
At first Shas followed a moderate policy on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, after Yosef had declared that lives were more important than territories,[2] but has since moved to the right, and opposes any freeze in Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank.[3] In addition, it is skeptical towards the US Obama Administration's intentions regarding the Peace Process and has begun to support a consolidation of Israeli Settlement interests, especially regarding yeshivas and Jewish Holy Sites in the West Bank. It further believes in a 'United Jerusalem' and supports the Greater Jerusalem plan. In 2010, Shas joined the World Zionist Organisation, having made significant changes to their Charter.[6]
Shas demands and endorses a compensation package for those Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews that were forced to leave their host countries and their property behind, making it a condition for its being willing to accept any peace deal with the PLO and bilateral peace agreements with Arab Countries.
The majority of Shas voters are themselves not ultra-orthodox. Many of its voters are Modern Orthodox and 'traditional' Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews. Due to its alignment with the promotion of an 'authentic Middle Eastern' Israeli culture, which fits well with traditional Zionist beliefs of a revival of authentic, non-Europeanized Jewish culture. However, they are still representing, by principle and not practice, their Sephardi and Mizrahi Haredi Jewish Sectors in the Knesset. Shas has at times been able to exert disproportionate influence by gaining control of the balance of power in the Knesset within the context of the traditionally narrow margin between Israel's large parties.
In the elections to the eleventh Knesset in 1984, Shas won four seats.[2] Following Aryeh Deri's conviction on corruption charges in 1999, Shas gained 17 seats in the 1999 elections, its strongest showing since its formation. Although 26 seats were projected for the following election had they run in 2001, instead Shas was reduced to 11 seats in the 2003 election because the two-ballot system was amended.
In the 2006 elections it gained one more seat after running what the BBC called “an aggressive campaign that targeted the neo-conservative economic policies of the previous government”,[7] and joined Ehud Olmert's coalition government, alongside Kadima, Labor, Gil and between October 2006 and January 2008, Yisrael Beiteinu. In the government, Shas party leader Yishai was Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, and Deputy Prime Minister whilst Ariel Atias was Minister of Communications, and Meshulam Nahari and Yitzhak Cohen were Ministers without Portfolio.
After the 2009 elections Shas joined the Likud-led coalition together with Labor, United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beiteinu, receiving four ministerial portfolios. Following the 2009 elections in which Shas won 11 seats, it joined Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government and holds four cabinet posts. Its current leader, Eli Yishai, is one of four Deputy Prime Ministers, and Minister of Internal Affairs.
On December 4, Shas launched its United States affiliate, American Friends of Shas, based in Brooklyn.[3]
Since 1999, several of Shas's MKs, including Aryeh Deri, Rafael Pinhasi, Yair Levy, Ofer Hugi, and Yair Peretz have been convicted of offences including fraud and forgery. In addition, elected MK Shlomo Benizri was convicted of bribery, conspiring to commit a crime and obstruction of justice on 1 April 2008.[8] Benizri subsequently resigned and Mazor Bahaina, number thirteen on the Shas list, replaced him.
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 Yosef distanced the party from Deri and installed Yishai as the new party head, many Shas voters saw Deri as the victim of a discriminatory political witch-hunt and continue to support him.
In 2010, as United States President Obama called for talks between Netanyahu and Abbas, Ovadia Yosef called Palestinians "evil, bitter enemies of Israel" and said "Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this world. God should strike them with a plague, them and these Palestinians." Saeb Erekat of the PLO said Yosef's remarks were tantamount to a call for "genocide against Palestinians." Yosef later apologized for his statements, and wrote to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, "I support your efforts and praise all the leaders and the peoples - Egyptians, Jordanians and Palestinians - who are partners and wish the success of this important process of achieving peace in our region, and preventing bloodshed. May God grant you longevity and may you succeed in your efforts for peace and may there be peace in our region."[9] Previously Yosef had called Arabs "vipers," and called for Israel to "annihilate" Arabs. "It is forbidden to be merciful to them. You must send missiles to them and annihilate them. They are evil and damnable."[10] This last remark, later argued Yosef, was directed at "terrorist" Arabs and not all of the Arab world.
Shas opposes any form of public expression of homosexuality, including Gay Pride parades, especially in Jerusalem. Shas MK Nissim Ze'ev accused the homosexual community of “carrying out the self-destruction of Israeli society and the Jewish people”, calling homosexuals “a plague as toxic as bird flu”.[11] However, it officially condemns any form of violence against gays and lesbians.
Eleven Shas candidates were elected to the 18th Knesset:
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