As party leaders indicated they would, Shas is moving ahead in an effort to reach out to Ashkenazi voters, both in the dati leumi and chareidi camps. Shas continues to boast its record of achievements in assisting kollelim and other chareidi institutions, both Ashkenazim and Sephardim, stating only Shas will have the ability to prevent future cuts to mosdos chinuch as the global economic crisis takes its toll in addition to the need to curtail government spending following Operation Cast Lead.
 
In this week’s Shabbat B’Shabbato, the largest dati leumi parsha handout, which prints some 100,000 copies, Shas made an election appeal to dati leumi voters, who many feel are disenchanted, without a political home following the decision to dissolve the Mafdal (National Religious Party) to enter the umbrella Bayit Yehudi Party, which polls indicate may not even earn enough votes to enter the 18th Knesset.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)