Some are perplexed, for in most polls, the Shas party barely makes it into Knesset with four seats, the minimum threshold to enter Knesset. In fact, according to many polls, Shas will not pass the minimum threshold and will not be in the next Knesset. However, despite repeated calls from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to lower the threshold, presumably to permit more smaller right-wing parties into Knesset, Deri remains the staunch opponent.

Most opine that Deri’s disdain for political nemesis Eli Yishai is so great, he is willing to risk Shas being obliterated from the Knesset map just to keep Yishai and his Yachad party out, as polls in most cases show Yachad too fails to earn four seats.

Eli Yishai has come out and addressed Deri’s actions following the announcement of the formation of the New Right party by Ministers Naftali Bennet and Ayelet Shaked.

Speaking with Ynet, Yishai said, “This a serious embarrassment and a type of very large crisis. I hope that we will emerge from the crisis because there is not much time. We are not a year prior to elections, but less than 100 days.”

Yishai is fearful following the split in the right-wing bloc, which now raises a question mark regarding the passage of the minimum threshold by some parties. “You cannot ignore this fact, but you must tell the truth, so I think it is time to create a union. In the United States, there are fifty states and two parties and here, another party splits every day. So, I thought it would be correct that Bayit Yehudi and Tekuma unite with the Yachad party, and by doing so, preserving the right-wing bloc”.

Regarding the opposition to his returning to his former Shas party, Yishai said, “Unfortunately, Rabbi Aryeh Deri opposes any connection. Even lowering the [minimum] threshold, he is endangering himself by not lowering the threshold, but apparently, he does not care even is chas v’sholom Shas will disappear”.

“[HaGaon] Rav Mazuz, the spiritual advisor of the yeshiva suggested a type of connection, but he remains adamantly opposed. It is now behind us. I do not wish to brag in the months of elections about there is or is not a union. As soon as he did not wish to unite, we moved along, and let’s talk about actions and our potential, our abilities and our journey, not the connection with Aryeh Deri.”

Yishai is asked to explain to voters why he will pass the minimum threshold when he failed to do so in the last election. He is confident, explaining things are different today. He explains the number of votes needed last time was the highest ever, and if this was not the case, they would have made it. He also feels the Likud campaign led by PM Netanyahu cost him 1.5 to 2 seats, which led to the high number required and his not getting into Knesset. He details that in the past, with 80,000 to 90,000 votes a party entered Knesset with 3 mandates. In the last election, with 126,000 votes, his party did not make it into Knesset.

Today, Yishai views Bayit Yehudi and Ichud Leumi are partners, but has yet to open talks with officials from those parties.

In an interview with the dati leumi Srugim website, Yishai spoke of a union with Bayit Yehudi and Ichud Leumi/Tekuma, a necessary move towards saving the right-wing.

He stated, “I sat in governments for twenty years and I see what is necessary today. The time has come to look at that which is good for the nation and not just for the party”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)