Former Shas chairman Eli Yishai is reportedly considering a return to Israeli politics through an alliance with the newly formed Hatzibur Hachareidi party, according to a report aired by Channel 12.
The report says Yishai, who led Shas for 14 years, has recently held a series of meetings with representatives of the new party, and the possibility of a joint run in the next Knesset election is being seriously explored. No final decision has been reached, however, and both Yishai and party officials declined to comment on the report.
Hatzibur Hachareidi has positioned itself as an alternative for working Chareidim and voters who have grown dissatisfied with the established Chareidi parties. At the same time, the party’s stance on the enlistment of Chareidim into the IDF has become its most controversial issue, drawing strong opposition from members of the Chareidi community who remain firmly committed to the olam haTorah and the protection of bnei yeshiva.
The reported talks have generated particular interest because of Yishai’s long history at the helm of Shas, as well as his previous attempt to establish an independent political movement. In 2014, after leaving Shas, Yishai founded the Yachad party together with Maran HaGaon Rav Meir Mazuz zt”l. Although the party received approximately 125,000 votes, it failed to cross the electoral threshold.
According to the report, political observers believe that a partnership between Yishai and Hatzibur Hachareidi could improve the new party’s chances of entering the Knesset. At the same time, they acknowledge that the issue of military service could become a major obstacle, particularly among Chareidi voters who view preserving the status of bnei yeshiva as a non-negotiable principle.
Channel 12 also reported that the party hopes to attract voters who have become disillusioned with Shas, pointing to recent polling that reflects dissatisfaction among some of the party’s traditional supporters. Nevertheless, analysts say there is a significant difference between criticizing Shas politically and embracing a party perceived as supporting Chareidi enlistment, a position that could make it difficult for the new party to gain broad acceptance within the wider Chareidi community.
For now, the discussions remain preliminary and no agreement has been finalized. Even so, the prospect of Eli Yishai returning to politics through a new party—particularly one whose message centers on the highly sensitive issue of the draft—is already fueling intense debate within the Chareidi political world.
The Baryonim had also grwon dissatisfied with the existing Chareidi Parties (i.e. The Gedolei HaDor). That did not end well. Just saying.
What a comparison. Would you swear that every decision made by those political parties was in accordance with the gedolim?
This itself highlights the issue of frum politicians.
THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE ONLY AS MESSENGERS OF GEDOLIM.
Silly. Instead of uniting all chareidim to make 1 large party, he’s starting a new party with 5 1/2 people.