The Shas party has come to the aid of the Otzma Yehudit party in a surprise move, following the achievement by the Meretz party in obtaining the necessary signatures required to file for an injunction preventing Otzma Yehudit party members from running for Knesset.

Shas representative to the Elections Committee, Attorney Moshe Arbel, approached the Chairman of the committee, Judge Hanan Meltzer, with the claim that it is superfluous for the committee to hold a discussion on this as the results of what the High Court of Justice will decide is already known from previous cases and that the representatives from Otzma Yehudit will be allowed to run.

“The  freedom of expression is a responsibility to uphold, especially for those who inscribe liberal and free ideals on their flag. I was shocked to see that, particularly the Meretz party who ascribes so strongly to these ideals, would be the ones to submit a request to negate a party’s right to run for the Knesset,” Arbel said.

“It is the opinion of the Shas party,” said Arbel, “that even though there are wide gaps between our positions on many topics, this method of shutting people’s mouths ad revoking the right to run for the Knesset due to a difference of opinion has no place in the sacred democracy.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)