Party Profile: Shas (Aryeh Deri)
Profile of Shas, the Sephardi and Mizrahi Haredi party led by Aryeh Deri, covering its list, platform and flexible coalition stance.
Shas, the Sephardi and Mizrahi Haredi party led by Aryeh Deri, averaged 7.3 seats in polls from 24 September to 7 October 2026. It backs Netanyahu but may stay out of the cabinet for a first year. This profile covers its list and platform.
Who they are
Shas is the main party of Sephardi and Mizrahi Haredi voters. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef founded it in 1984. It peaked at 17 seats in 1999. Aryeh Deri, 67, leads it.
| Leader | Aryeh Deri |
| Ballot letter | שס (Shas) |
| Poll average (24 Sep to 7 Oct) | 7.3 seats |
| Camp | Coalition |
| Space | Haredi, Sephardi, socially conservative, welfare-minded |
| Coalition stance | Backs Netanyahu, but sits outside the cabinet for now |
Shas left its cabinet posts in July 2025 over the draft law and gave up its Knesset committee chairs in October 2025. It still backs a right-wing government. Reports say it plans to sit in opposition for the first year of the next government, although this is informal.
The list: who is likely to get in
At 7.3 seats, the top seven are in. Slots 8 and 9 are the edge. There are no women on the list.
| # | Name | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aryeh Deri | 67 |
| 2 | Yinon Azulay | 47 |
| 3 | Michael Malkieli | 43 |
| 4 | Yoav Ben-Tzur | 68 |
| 5 | Haim Biton | 48 |
| 6 | Dror Amos | n/a |
| 7 | Moshe Abutbul | 61 |
| 8 | Uriel Buso | 53 |
| 9 | Yosef Taieb | 45 |
| 10 | Yonatan Mishraki | 42 |
| 11 | Yosef Elnatan | n/a |
| 12 | Erez Malul | n/a |
| 13 | Simon Moshiashvili | n/a |
Aryeh Deri (1). Party chairman and the most important figure in Haredi politics outside the Ashkenazi establishment. A former interior minister and a veteran of every coalition negotiation. He has a conviction record that kept him from a cabinet post in 2023, when the High Court barred his appointment as minister.
Yinon Azulay (2). A sitting MK and a leading Shas voice in the Knesset.
Michael Malkieli (3). A former Religious Services Minister and a sitting MK.
Yoav Ben-Tzur (4). A veteran MK and former minister, 68.
Haim Biton (5). A sitting MK, 48.
Moshe Abutbul (7). A former mayor of Beit Shemesh, 61.
Uriel Buso (8). A sitting MK and former minister, 53.
Others on the list. Dror Amos (6), Yosef Taieb (9), Yonatan Mishraki (10) and the rest have thinner public profiles.
Two sitting MKs, Margi and Arbel, were dropped from the list.
Note: check the final list against the Central Elections Committee publication.
Platform and coalition plans
| Issue | Position |
|---|---|
| Draft | Protect full-time Torah study. Oppose sanctions on yeshiva students. |
| Economy | Welfare, cost of living, support for large families |
| Religion and state | Preserve Shabbat and kashrut status quo |
| Coalition | Backs Netanyahu. May stay out of cabinet for a first year. |
Shas is the most flexible of the Haredi parties. It has sat with right and center governments before. Its public line is to back Netanyahu, but its choice of whether to take ministries is a bargaining chip. See the Government and Opposition article for how the 37th government handled the draft crisis.
Sources: Party list filings; Israeli media coverage of Shas's July and October 2025 decisions; poll tracking, 24 Sept to 7 Oct.
Frequently asked questions
Who leads Shas?
Aryeh Deri, 67, leads Shas. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef founded the party in 1984, and it peaked at 17 seats in 1999. Yinon Azulay is number 2 on the list.
What is Shas's ballot letter?
Shas's ballot letter is Shas (שס). Aryeh Deri leads the list, with Yinon Azulay at number 2 and Michael Malkieli at number 3. The page notes there are no women on the list.
How many seats is Shas polling?
Shas averaged 7.3 seats in polls from 24 September to 7 October. At that level the top seven names get in, and slots 8 and 9 are the edge.
Will Shas sit in the next Netanyahu government?
Shas backs Netanyahu and is in the coalition camp. It left its cabinet posts in July 2025 over the draft. Reports say it plans to sit in opposition for the first year, though this is informal.
Cite this page: The Israel Gazette. “Party Profile: Shas (Aryeh Deri).” Updated 9 October 2026. https://israelgazette.com/election/party-profile-shas-aryeh-deri/