Shas Sages Forbid Aryeh Deri From Resigning

Overview

• On Wednesday the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah issued a directive ordering Aryeh Deri to remain as Shas chairman and he publicly accepted the ruling.
• The rabbinic council cited halakha and rulings of Maimonides to argue Deri cannot abandon leadership during the ongoing fight over yeshiva-student conscription.
• Deri is expected to give up his Knesset seat while continuing to run the party from outside parliament, a move that would alter Shas’s parliamentary lineup.
• Shas suffered a sharp drop in the Oct. 27 election, falling from 11 seats to six, which triggered internal criticism and reports that senior figures sought to remove Deri.
• The Moetzes pledged to prioritize regularizing the status of yeshiva students and Shas has formally recommended Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government, leaving the party influential in coalition talks despite its losses.