Shas party chairman Minister Aryeh Deri on Monday afternoon briefed members of the party’s Knesset faction, informing them that he does not plan to have the party join the coalition in Elad, led by Mayor Yisrael Porush.

At this point and time, it appears that both Shas and Degel Hatorah plan to remain in opposition, seeking to make the next term in office for Porush a difficult one. All their combined efforts to have him disqualified or ousted in the race failed, leading to his reelection. Shas is especially angered, as it feels the community, which is primarily Sephardi, should have a Shas-affiliated mayor.

The Degel candidate, Yitzchak Pindrus was disqualified by the court and then, an effort followed to delay the election to provide sufficient time to find another suitable candidate, but the Supreme Court would not hear of it, denying the request to delay the election in Elad.

Those in the know report that the Degel and Shas representatives on the local level wish to enter the coalition but the leaders on the national level are doing whatever they can to sabotage Porush’s efforts, perhaps amid a dream of compelling another election to finally get rid of Porush, who they hope will fail in assembling a coalition to operate the municipality in his second term.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)