Former Shas chairman Eli Yishai met with Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman on Erev Shabbos and received his blessing to leave the Shas party, according to reports in Israel Radio and Walla News, reports Times of Israel.
Yishai has yet to make a final decision, according to those reports, but is likely to make an announcement early this week.
Yishai’s expected choice to split from the party comes after reconciliation attempts with current party chairman and long-time rival Aryeh Deri appear to have failed.
Pundits have speculated in recent days that Yishai could join with Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi) – who is also locked in an internal struggle with his party leader, Naftali Bennett, and may be on the verge of splitting – to form a new party, Times of Israel reports.
Mounting pressure within Shas to remove Yishai from the electoral list ahead of the upcoming March 2015 elections could split the party into two separate factions.
Tensions came to a head Wednesday during a meeting with the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah, where Yishai was presented with a list of conditions that Deri demanded be met before the two could reconcile. Deri’s demands included that Yishai draft a letter of resignation that could be used at any time if the former chairman acted against the interests of the party. Yishai refused to comply with Deri’s demands.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
Sad!
They’re both good people!
Wouldn’t it be interesting if there were so many parties that NONE of them got a seat?
more parties than people in Israel ???
There is nothing as fAscinating & exciting as ISRAELI politics.
Splits,attempted reconcilliations failed….The same as they say that one advantage of disagreements amongst yidden is that it brings about the opening of another beis hamedrash or another school,so also with our taireh politicians,constant disagreements and splits and what have you,brings yet another political party onto the Israeli scene that promise the world and deliver very little….Mi Ke’amchoh Yisroel….So long as there is no achdus we will never turn Israeli life into what it should be,will we?.
After this election, the full force of Lapid’s work will take effect, with the law forcing thousands of bnai torah going into full effect. The financial cuts against mosdos hatorah will continue to be a threat to frum people in EY.
Last election, Bennet and Lapid, for all the fact that both have very different outlooks, and other issues, put aside their differences, to force the government to accept their demands. Each refused to join the government without the other.
Netanyahu tried to bribe eavh of them separately, but they resisted and he had to give in.
Now the frum parties stand to win enough seats that if they do the same as Lapid and Bennet and put aside their differences, the next government would have no choice but to accept their agenda.
Only by working together can the frum parties have enough sway to truly help those they represent.
Those who hate the frum are alight with joy over these sqaubbles between various frum.
“The more breakups the better, let them weaken themselves until they are too small to have any clout” “That way, Lapid wins”