Shas is bracing for a decision that could reshape the party's leadership: chairman Aryeh Deri is expected to announce as soon as tonight whether he will resign from the Knesset and step back from active parliamentary service. The move comes after Shas won only six seats in the 26th Knesset elections, down from eleven in the previous term.
Family members and associates close to Deri say he is leaning toward resigning his Knesset seat while remaining in a leadership role outside the chamber, either as external party chairman or under a new title such as "President of Shas."
If Deri follows through, party sources have already identified the man most likely to take the reins: former minister Ariel Atias is being named as the leading candidate to serve as Shas chairman in the Knesset. Atias, who held several cabinet portfolios in previous governments, is seen within the party as the natural successor to lead the faction.
However, political observers note that Deri's plan to retain a leadership title outside the Knesset is not guaranteed to receive automatic backing from the rabbanim of Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, the council of Torah sages that guides Shas. The council's approval would be required for any arrangement that deviates from the party's traditional structure, in which the Knesset chairman holds the formal leadership position.
