Shas Denies Aryeh Deri Resignation From Knesset, Leadership

Shas has issued a statement saying that recent reports about Rabbi Aryeh Deri, notified the party's Council of Torah Sages that he was stepping down from the Knesset and from the leadership of the party are false.

The denial addresses both parts of the reported move: Deri's seat in the Knesset and his position at the head of the party. The statement offered no further detail beyond rejecting the reports.

Earliet today, reports indicated that Deri submitted a letter of resignation as head of the movement that morning and asked to step down after the party's historic collapse in the election. That report said the council would hold an emergency session to decide Deri's future and was expected to tell him he was not permitted to resign.

According to that report, the decision to convene was made by the council's elder, Rabbi Moshe Maya, and Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef. Council members held a conference call with Deri and asked him to appear before them. Deri agreed to attend and requested the opportunity to present his reasons. The meeting was set for a private home in Jerusalem belonging to someone close to the rabbis rather than the Shas offices.

Shas won six seats in the election for the 26th Knesset, a historic low for the party and down from 11 in the outgoing Knesset.

On Tuesday, Shas announced that its Council of Torah Sages had decided to recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the President as its candidate to form the next government, after Netanyahu restated his commitment to regulating the status of Torah scholars.