Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is working to apply pressure to the Shas party towards having them agree to join with Yahadut Hatorah to create a chareidi bloc ahead of the upcoming election for 21st Knesset, which will take place on Tuesday, April 9,2019.

According to a Kikar Shabbos News report, people are working along with the prime minister to pressure Shas Chairman Minister Aryeh Deri, who is currently opposed to such a move, which he feels is contrary to the life work of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L, who wanted to restore the sephardi pride and tradition. HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen, head of the Shas Moetzas Chachmei HaTorah also opposes the move, which he feels will leave Shas subordinate to the chareidi ashkenazi parties.

Netanyahu fears that too many votes for the right-wing parties will be lost and this places the future of another right-wing led coalition in jeopardy in addition to the fear, based on recent election polls, that Shas going it alone will not pass the electoral minimum required to enter Knesset, once again, losing those potential right-wing seats in Knesset.

Journalist Itai Kadassi reported on Sunday on ‘Kav Ha’Scoopim’ that he heard from a first-hand source from Rav Cohen that the rav remains adamantly opposed to uniting with the ashkenazim in the upcoming election.

News 12 correspondent Amit Segal reports that Netanyahu spoke with the head of Ichud Leumi, MK Betzalel Smotrich, working to persuade him to reach agreement with Otzma Yisrael, to run together, to avoid losing those votes as well.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)