Shas
Encyclopedia
Shas is an ultra-orthodox religious political party in Israel
, primarily representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi
Judaism
.
Shas was founded in 1984 by dissident members of the Ashkenazi dominated Agudat Israel
, to represent the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi (Middle Eastern) Jews.
Following the 2009 elections
in which Shas won 11 seats, it joined Benjamin Netanyahu
's coalition government and holds four cabinet posts. Its current leader, Eli Yishai
, is one of four Deputy Prime Ministers, and Minister of Internal Affairs
.
in the same year, through the merger of regional lists established in 1983. A Sephardi offshoot of the largely Ashkenazi
Agudat Yisrael, it was originally known as The Worldwide Sephardic Association of Torah Guardians . The party was formed under the leadership of Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef
(a former Israeli Chief rabbi
), who remains its spiritual leader today. In founding the party, Yosef received strategic help and guidance from Rabbi Elazar Shach
, the leader of Israel's non-Hasidic Haredi Ashkenazi Jews
The party was mired in scandal after the indictment and subsequent conviction and imprisonment of its former party leader, Aryeh Deri
, on corruption charges in 1999. While Yosef distanced the party from Deri and installed Yishai as the new party head, many Shas voters saw Deri as the victim of a discriminatory political witch-hunt and continue to support him.
Following Deri's conviction, Shas gained 17 seats in the 1999 elections, its strongest showing since its formation. Although 26 seats were projected for the following election had they run in 2001, instead Shas was reduced to 11 seats in the 2003 election because the two-ballot system was amended. In the 2006 elections it gained one more seat and joined Ehud Olmert
's coalition government, alongside Kadima
, Labor, Gil and between October 2006 and January 2008, Yisrael Beiteinu. In the current government, Shas party leader Yishai was Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, and Deputy Prime Minister whilst Ariel Atias
was Minister of Communications, and Meshulam Nahari
and Yitzhak Cohen
were Ministers without Portfolio
.
After the 2009 elections Shas joined the Likud
-led coalition together with Labor, United Torah Judaism
and Yisrael Beiteinu, receiving four ministerial portfolios.
playing a pivotal role and providing a fulcrum for the operation of the state and its identity, such as laws prohibiting various activities on the Shabbat
. Shas has a socially conservative agenda, while also supporting a strong social umbrella, especially regarding generous welfare payments especially for yeshiva
students. It also fundamentally supports the Baal teshuva movement
, through which it has encouraged many non-Orthodox
Israelis of Sephardic and Mizrahi-Jewish heritage to adopt an ultra-Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. Its policy regarding the Israeli Arab conflict has been relatively flexible, although it generally supports the Greater Israel
consolidation movement united under the crown of the Mizrahi Torah, in accordance to HaMaran
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
's flexible foreign policy derivatives. They have never taken active measures to support the Gush Emunim
movement and do not strongly favor the Israeli settlement
s, on which they are closer in policy to Agudat Yisrael than the Tkuma
or Jewish National Front. Furthermore, it is also skeptical about Non-Observant Ashkenazi Jews
being at the helm of State affairs, principally due to their 'assumed' reported discrimination against Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in the early days of Israel
's Statehood, as well as opposing their non-Torah ideology. It defines itself as "social democratic" and has some leftist paper positions on economic issues. http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/767/israeliaggression.html
Shas has at times been able to exert disproportionate influence by gaining control of the balance of power in the Knesset within the context of the traditionally narrow margin between Israel's large parties, Labor and Likud
, now joined by Kadima
.
The majority of Shas voters are themselves not ultra-orthodox. Many of its voters are Modern Orthodox and 'traditional' Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews. Due to its alignment with the promotion of an 'authentic Middle Eastern' Israeli culture, which fits well with traditional Zionist beliefs of a revival of authentic, non-Europeanized Jewish culture. However, they are still representing, by principle and not practice, their Sephardi and Mizrahi Haredi Jewish Sectors in the Knesset
.
It furthermore also demands and endorses an immediate compensation package for those Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews
that were forced to leave their host countries and their subsequent property, as well as other connurbations, behind. This clause being fulfilled by Arab Countries in any Bilateral Peace Agreement is a hard condition for Shas being willing to accept any peace deal with the PLO. In addition, it is skeptical towards the US Obama Administration's intentions regarding the Peace Process
and has begun to support a consolidation of Israeli Settlement
interests, especially regarding yeshiva
s and Jewish Holy Sites in the West Bank
. It further believes in a 'United Jerusalem' and supports the Greater Jerusalem plan.
Socially, it opposes any form of public expression of homosexuality, including Gay Pride
parades, especially in Tel Aviv
. However, it officially condemns any form of violence
against gays and lesbians.
Shas came joint third in the 2006 general election, taking 12 seats after running an aggressive campaign that targeted the neo-conservative economic policies of the previous government. Shas generally acts in concert with United Torah Judaism
in defense of religious educational institutions and state benefits.
In 2010, Shas joined the World Zionist Organisation, recognising the New Jerusalem Program, which prioritises the high importance of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel
in Jewish National Life. They will run under a grouping with Likud called 'World Likud-Shas'. Thus, Shas is now a 'Zionist Party', having made significant changes to their Charter http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135611.
, Rafael Pinhasi
, Yair Levy
, Ofer Hugi
, and Yair Peretz
have been convicted of offences including fraud and forgery. In addition, elected MK Shlomo Benizri
was convicted of bribery, conspiring to commit a crime and obstruction of justice on 1 April 2008. Benizri subsequently resigned and Mazor Bahaina
, number thirteen on the Shas list, replaced him.
In 2010, as United States President Obama called for talks between Netanyahu and Abbas, Ovadia Yosef
called Palestinians "evil, bitter enemies of Israel" and said "Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this world. God should strike them with a plague, them and these Palestinians." Saeb Erekat
of PLO said Yosef's remarks were tantamount to a call for "genocide against Palestinians." Yosef later apologized for his statements, and wrote to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, "I support your efforts and praise all the leaders and the peoples - Egyptians, Jordanians and Palestinians - who are partners and wish the success of this important process of achieving peace in our region, and preventing bloodshed. May God grant you longevity and may you succeed in your efforts for peace and may there be peace in our region." Previously Yosef had called Arabs as "vipers," and called for Israel to "annihilate" Arabs. "It is forbidden to be merciful to them. You must send missiles to them and annihilate them. They are evil and damnable." This last remark, later argued Yosef, was directed at "terrorist" Arabs and not all of the Arab world.
Eleven Shas candidates were elected to the 18th Knesset:
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, primarily representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi
Sephardic Haredim
Sephardic Haredim are Jews of Sephardic and Mizrahi descent which are adherents of Haredi Judaism. Sephardic Haredim today constitute a significant stream of Haredi Judaism, alongside the Hassidim and Lita'im. An overwhelming majority of Sephardic Haredim reside in Israel, where Sephardic Haredi...
Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
.
Shas was founded in 1984 by dissident members of the Ashkenazi dominated Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
, to represent the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi (Middle Eastern) Jews.
Following the 2009 elections
Israeli legislative election, 2009
Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government...
in which Shas won 11 seats, it joined Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
's coalition government and holds four cabinet posts. Its current leader, Eli Yishai
Eli Yishai
Eliyahu "Eli" Yishai is an Israeli politician and head of the Shas party. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Shas, and as both one of four Deputy Prime Ministers and Minister of Internal Affairs.- Political life :...
, is one of four Deputy Prime Ministers, and Minister of Internal Affairs
Internal Affairs Minister of Israel
The Interior Minister , also known as the Minister of Internal Affairs is head of the Israeli Ministry of Interior and an important portfolio in the cabinet. The current Interior Minister is Eli Yishai of Shas...
.
History
Shas was founded in 1984 prior to the electionsIsraeli legislative election, 1984
Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984. Voter turnout was 78.8%. The results saw the Alignment return to being the largest party in the Knesset, a status it had lost in 1977...
in the same year, through the merger of regional lists established in 1983. A Sephardi offshoot of the largely Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
Agudat Yisrael, it was originally known as The Worldwide Sephardic Association of Torah Guardians . The party was formed under the leadership of Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef is the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, a recognised Talmudic scholar and foremost halakhic authority.He currently serves as the spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Israeli parliament...
(a former Israeli Chief rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
), who remains its spiritual leader today. In founding the party, Yosef received strategic help and guidance from Rabbi Elazar Shach
Elazar Shach
Elazar Menachem Man Shach also spelt Eliezer Schach, was a leading Lithuanian-born and educated Haredi rabbi in Bnei Brak, Israel. He also served as one of three co-deans of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak along with Rabbis Shmuel Rozovsky and Dovid Povarsky...
, the leader of Israel's non-Hasidic Haredi Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
The party was mired in scandal after the indictment and subsequent conviction and imprisonment of its former party leader, Aryeh Deri
Aryeh Deri
Aryeh Deri is an Israeli politician, and former leader of Israel's Shas Party.-Biography:After Deri was convicted of taking $155,000 in bribes while serving as Interior Minister and given a three-year jail sentence in 2000, he was replaced by Eli Yishai...
, on corruption charges in 1999. While Yosef distanced the party from Deri and installed Yishai as the new party head, many Shas voters saw Deri as the victim of a discriminatory political witch-hunt and continue to support him.
Following Deri's conviction, Shas gained 17 seats in the 1999 elections, its strongest showing since its formation. Although 26 seats were projected for the following election had they run in 2001, instead Shas was reduced to 11 seats in the 2003 election because the two-ballot system was amended. In the 2006 elections it gained one more seat and joined Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
's coalition government, alongside Kadima
Kadima
Kadima is a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely to support the issue of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and was soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians...
, Labor, Gil and between October 2006 and January 2008, Yisrael Beiteinu. In the current government, Shas party leader Yishai was Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, and Deputy Prime Minister whilst Ariel Atias
Ariel Atias
Ariel Atias is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Shas, and as the country's Minister of Housing and Construction. He is also manager of Shas' kosher supervision organization.-Biography:...
was Minister of Communications, and Meshulam Nahari
Meshulam Nahari
Rabbi Meshulam Nahari is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for the ultra-orthodox party Shas. He is a Minister without Portfolio serving in the Finance Ministry in the current government.-Background:...
and Yitzhak Cohen
Yitzhak Cohen
Rabbi Yitzhak Cohen is an Israeli politician who has served as a member of the Knesset for Shas since 1996, and is the current Deputy Minister of Finance.-Biography:Born in Ashkelon, Cohen served on the city's council and was its former deputy mayor....
were Ministers without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
.
After the 2009 elections Shas joined the Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
-led coalition together with Labor, United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel, two small Israeli Haredi political parties in the Knesset. It was first formed in 1992.The two parties have not always agreed with each other about policy matters...
and Yisrael Beiteinu, receiving four ministerial portfolios.
Ideology
Shas is a strong advocate of HalakhaHalakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
playing a pivotal role and providing a fulcrum for the operation of the state and its identity, such as laws prohibiting various activities on the Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
. Shas has a socially conservative agenda, while also supporting a strong social umbrella, especially regarding generous welfare payments especially for yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
students. It also fundamentally supports the Baal teshuva movement
Baal teshuva movement
The Baal Teshuva movement is description of the return of secular Jews to religious Judaism. The term "baal teshuva" is a term from the Talmud literally meaning "master of repentance". The term is used to refer to a worldwide phenomenon among the Jewish people...
, through which it has encouraged many non-Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
Israelis of Sephardic and Mizrahi-Jewish heritage to adopt an ultra-Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. Its policy regarding the Israeli Arab conflict has been relatively flexible, although it generally supports the Greater Israel
Greater Israel
Greater Israel is a controversial expression with several different Biblical and political meanings over time.Currently, the most common definition of the land encompassed by the term is the territory of the State of Israel together with the Palestinian territories...
consolidation movement united under the crown of the Mizrahi Torah, in accordance to HaMaran
Maran
Maran is a title for exceptionally respected rabbis. The term is more prevalent among Sephardi Jews, but is also widely used by Ashkenazi Haredi Jews.It is an Aramaic word used frequently in the Talmud which means 'our master'...
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef is the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, a recognised Talmudic scholar and foremost halakhic authority.He currently serves as the spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Israeli parliament...
's flexible foreign policy derivatives. They have never taken active measures to support the Gush Emunim
Gush Emunim
Gush Emunim was an Israeli messianic and political movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While not formally established as an organization until 1974 in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, Gush Emunim sprang out of the conquests of the Six-Day War in 1967, encouraging...
movement and do not strongly favor the Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
s, on which they are closer in policy to Agudat Yisrael than the Tkuma
Tkuma
Tkuma is a right wing political party in Israel.-Background:Tkuma was established in 1998 when Hanan Porat and Zvi Hendel left the National Religious Party. At first the new party was named Emunim , but was later renamed Tkuma...
or Jewish National Front. Furthermore, it is also skeptical about Non-Observant Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
being at the helm of State affairs, principally due to their 'assumed' reported discrimination against Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in the early days of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's Statehood, as well as opposing their non-Torah ideology. It defines itself as "social democratic" and has some leftist paper positions on economic issues. http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/767/israeliaggression.html
Shas has at times been able to exert disproportionate influence by gaining control of the balance of power in the Knesset within the context of the traditionally narrow margin between Israel's large parties, Labor and Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
, now joined by Kadima
Kadima
Kadima is a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely to support the issue of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and was soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians...
.
The majority of Shas voters are themselves not ultra-orthodox. Many of its voters are Modern Orthodox and 'traditional' Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews. Due to its alignment with the promotion of an 'authentic Middle Eastern' Israeli culture, which fits well with traditional Zionist beliefs of a revival of authentic, non-Europeanized Jewish culture. However, they are still representing, by principle and not practice, their Sephardi and Mizrahi Haredi Jewish Sectors in the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
.
It furthermore also demands and endorses an immediate compensation package for those Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
that were forced to leave their host countries and their subsequent property, as well as other connurbations, behind. This clause being fulfilled by Arab Countries in any Bilateral Peace Agreement is a hard condition for Shas being willing to accept any peace deal with the PLO. In addition, it is skeptical towards the US Obama Administration's intentions regarding the Peace Process
Peace process
Peace process may refer to:* in general:** Peacebuilding** Conflict resolution* specifically:** Northern Ireland peace process, efforts from c.1993 to end "the Troubles"...
and has begun to support a consolidation of Israeli Settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
interests, especially regarding yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s and Jewish Holy Sites in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. It further believes in a 'United Jerusalem' and supports the Greater Jerusalem plan.
Socially, it opposes any form of public expression of homosexuality, including Gay Pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
parades, especially in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. However, it officially condemns any form of violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
against gays and lesbians.
Shas came joint third in the 2006 general election, taking 12 seats after running an aggressive campaign that targeted the neo-conservative economic policies of the previous government. Shas generally acts in concert with United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel, two small Israeli Haredi political parties in the Knesset. It was first formed in 1992.The two parties have not always agreed with each other about policy matters...
in defense of religious educational institutions and state benefits.
In 2010, Shas joined the World Zionist Organisation, recognising the New Jerusalem Program, which prioritises the high importance of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
in Jewish National Life. They will run under a grouping with Likud called 'World Likud-Shas'. Thus, Shas is now a 'Zionist Party', having made significant changes to their Charter http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135611.
Controversy
Since 1999, several of Shas's MKs, including Aryeh DeriAryeh Deri
Aryeh Deri is an Israeli politician, and former leader of Israel's Shas Party.-Biography:After Deri was convicted of taking $155,000 in bribes while serving as Interior Minister and given a three-year jail sentence in 2000, he was replaced by Eli Yishai...
, Rafael Pinhasi
Rafael Pinhasi
Rafael Pinhasi is a former Israeli who served as Minister of Communications between 1990 and 1992.Born in Kabul in Afghanistan, Pinhasi's family made aliyah in 1950. He was amongst the founders of Shas, and served as deputy mayor of Bnei Brak....
, Yair Levy
Yair Levy
Yair Levy is an Israeli rabbi and former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas between 1988 and 1992.-Biography:Born in Tiberias in 1952, Levy attended a rabbinical seminary, and was certified as a rabbi...
, Ofer Hugi
Ofer Hugi
Ofer Hugi is a former Israeli politician who served as a Knesset member for Shas from 1999 to 2003 and again for just under a month in 2006. In 2007 he was sent to prison for various charges related to forgery and fraud.-Background:...
, and Yair Peretz
Yair Peretz
Yair Peretz is a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas from 1999 until being convicted of fraudulently obtaining an academic degree in March 2006.-Biography:Born in Morocco, Peretz made aliyah to Israel in 1961...
have been convicted of offences including fraud and forgery. In addition, elected MK Shlomo Benizri
Shlomo Benizri
Shlomo Benizri is an Israeli politician and member of the Shas party. He represented Shas in the Knesset between 1992 and 2008, serving as Deputy Health Minister, Minister of Health, and Labor and Social Welfare Minister during the late 1990s and early 2000s...
was convicted of bribery, conspiring to commit a crime and obstruction of justice on 1 April 2008. Benizri subsequently resigned and Mazor Bahaina
Mazor Bahaina
Mazor Mahoy Bahaina is an Israeli kes, rabbi and former politician, who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas between 2008 and 2009.-Biography:...
, number thirteen on the Shas list, replaced him.
In 2010, as United States President Obama called for talks between Netanyahu and Abbas, Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef is the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, a recognised Talmudic scholar and foremost halakhic authority.He currently serves as the spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Israeli parliament...
called Palestinians "evil, bitter enemies of Israel" and said "Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this world. God should strike them with a plague, them and these Palestinians." Saeb Erekat
Saeb Erekat
Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat (also Erakat; Ṣāʼib ʻUrayqāt or ʻRēqāt, born April 28, 1955 in Jordanian controlled East Jerusalem was the Palestinian chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee until 12 February 2011...
of PLO said Yosef's remarks were tantamount to a call for "genocide against Palestinians." Yosef later apologized for his statements, and wrote to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, "I support your efforts and praise all the leaders and the peoples - Egyptians, Jordanians and Palestinians - who are partners and wish the success of this important process of achieving peace in our region, and preventing bloodshed. May God grant you longevity and may you succeed in your efforts for peace and may there be peace in our region." Previously Yosef had called Arabs as "vipers," and called for Israel to "annihilate" Arabs. "It is forbidden to be merciful to them. You must send missiles to them and annihilate them. They are evil and damnable." This last remark, later argued Yosef, was directed at "terrorist" Arabs and not all of the Arab world.
Current Knesset members
- Eli YishaiEli YishaiEliyahu "Eli" Yishai is an Israeli politician and head of the Shas party. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Shas, and as both one of four Deputy Prime Ministers and Minister of Internal Affairs.- Political life :...
- Ariel AtiasAriel AtiasAriel Atias is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Shas, and as the country's Minister of Housing and Construction. He is also manager of Shas' kosher supervision organization.-Biography:...
- Yitzhak CohenYitzhak CohenRabbi Yitzhak Cohen is an Israeli politician who has served as a member of the Knesset for Shas since 1996, and is the current Deputy Minister of Finance.-Biography:Born in Ashkelon, Cohen served on the city's council and was its former deputy mayor....
- Amnon CohenAmnon Cohen-Biography:Born in Samarkand in the Soviet Union , Cohen made aliyah to Israel in 1973. He gained a BA in business administration at the Center for Academic Studies in Kiryat Ono and took a two-year course at the Institute for Local Government in Bar-Ilan University.Cohen served as deputy mayor and...
- Meshulam NahariMeshulam NahariRabbi Meshulam Nahari is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for the ultra-orthodox party Shas. He is a Minister without Portfolio serving in the Finance Ministry in the current government.-Background:...
- Ya'akov MargiYa'akov MargiYa'akov Margi is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Shas and as the country's Minister of Religious Services.-Biography:Margi was born in Morocco and brought to Israel during Yakhin Operation in 1962....
- David AzulaiDavid Azulai-Biography:Azulai was born in Meknes in Morocco, and immigrated to Israel in 1963.Between the years 1973 to 1993, he worked as a teacher and vice principal. Simultaneously, from 1978 to 1993, he was a member of Acre's local council and served in the municipality's committees. In 1993 he was elected...
- Yitzhak VakninYitzhak Vaknin-Biography:Between 1982 and 1987 Vaknin served as secretary of the Gornot HaGalil communal settlement. In 1988 he became chairman of the committee of Ya'ara, a position he held until 1996. Between 1988 and 1993 he also served as secretary of Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council, and from 1993 until 1996...
- Nissim Ze'ev
- Emil Amsalem (Amsalem was later expelled from Shas and currently sits as an independent, but still a member of the Likud-led coalition)
- Avraham MichaeliAvraham Michaeli-Biography:Born in Kulashi in the Soviet Union , Michaeli made aliyah to Israel on 29 June 1971. He studied law at Bar-Ilan University, gaining an LLB in 1984. In 2006 he was elected to the Knesset on Shas' list. He retained his seat in the 2009 elections, having been placed eleventh on the Shas...
External links
- Official website
- Shas Knesset website