Story perspectives

Shas and UTJ predicted to win 15 Knesset seats

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 4:25 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Shas projected to win seven seats and United Torah Judaism eight seats in the Oct. 27 Knesset election.
Shas, led by Arye Deri and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, and UTJ, chaired by Yaakov Asher, sit right.
They oppose civil marriage, insisting all unions remain under the Chief Rabbinate.
They demand state funding for haredi schools and daycare and protect draft exemptions.

History

Historical Context

In 1984 Rabbi Ovadia Yosef founded Shas, and the party won four Knesset seats in that year’s election. The same year the Ministry of Education raised funding for state-run religious schools by 30 % to NIS 1.2 billion. Today Shas leader Aryeh Deri and United Torah Judaism chair Yaakov Asher are again pressing for larger school budgets, draft exemptions and marriage control, echoing the party’s original platform.

1 of 2

Story summary

Shas projected to win seven seats and United Torah Judaism eight seats in the Oct. 27 Knesset election.
Shas, led by Arye Deri and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, and UTJ, chaired by Yaakov Asher, sit right.
They oppose civil marriage, insisting all unions remain under the Chief Rabbinate.
They demand state funding for haredi schools and daycare and protect draft exemptions.

1 / 2