It would appear that Shas co-leader Aryeh Deri is counting down the days in which he is willing to continue operating as one of three party leaders. He feels the Shas trio leadership was a colossal failure and the party suffered in the elections as a result.
Maariv reports that Deri has told close confidants that he has been speaking with Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita about appointing him the exclusive party leader. If this does not occur he will resign as a Shas leader and MK after the new government is sworn in, most likely to run as in the Jerusalem mayoral race.
Deri said he tried to explain from the get go that the trio leadership arrangement could not have succeeded for one was undermining the other with contradictory media statements and actions. He feels that had R’ Ovadia appointed him the leader as he requested; Shas would have earned a minimum of 15 seats.
The decision may still have a major impact for if a coalition is not formed, Maran R’ Ovadia will have to decide who will head the party in the re-elections.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
He is better off running for mayor of Jerusalem. He lived in the city many years (as a student and a politician). If he can unite all hareidim and sefardim (a tall order but not impossible, especially given the current climate of the Ashkenazi hiloni elites persecuting hareidim) he should win, and he would have a greater potential than any other Israeli politician to get Arabs votes (which could be important in Jerusalem). As mayor of Jerusalem he would be a very visible figure on a very large stage, and could build a coaltion that could bring down the Likud-Bayit Yehudi-Lapid coalition.
Shas would have earned a minimum of 15 seats.
Deri is delusional. They earned the reduced seats because he was back in power.
So, while professing to be harav Ovadia’s humble and obedient representative he is (a) implying that harav Ovadia made a (costly) mistake when he set up the trio leadership and (b) is trying to coerce harav Ovadia by threat into appointing him part leader, or else (c) he will run for the position of mayor of Jerusalem – presumably as harav Ovadia’s humble and obedient representative! He reminds me of Uriah Heep.
“Deri: If I am Not Appointed Party Leader I Will Resign”
Somehow, I think his party and the rest of the Jewish world could cope with that very easily indeed.
No one – not even Arye Deri – is indispensible.
Hey Arye, why don’t you join up with Amselam & Yitzchock? That should be fun.
Yagel libbi: was wondering the same . Also, did deri not forget that this past election was the first time shas had “competition” from within the sefaradi chareidi circles?! Namely Koach lehashpiyah-amnon yitzchak and Amshalem by chaim amsalem. Although at the end they didn’t pass the required amount, those voted would add up to 3 to 4 seats that would have been shas, add on top of that , the negative campaigning that took place because of those parties definetly took away potenial shas voters and sent them to bayit yehudi and the sort. So if deri is wondering where his 15 seat are, there’s your answer.
Want life: you are right,you said exactly what’s going on, not even less, just exactly!!!
Although i am not a big fan of shas to start with, Deri should be Shas leader since he’s the one who created this party. His ideas are interesting but badly executed. He was never given a real chance to fully do what he wants. In that trio, he’s really the only one who knows what he’s talking about and only one respected in the eyes of other parties. We can’t criticize him until he takes the lead and actually flies on his own.