Full Breakdown
Shas Faces Historic Electoral Setback Amid Conscription Controversy
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In this breakdown
01
Core Event: Election Results and Immediate Fallout
In the 2026 national election, the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox party Shas secured six seats in the 26th Knesset, a loss of roughly half its previous representation. Party officials estimate the vote total at about 275,000, down from 392,964 in the 2022 election, reflecting a decline of roughly 30 % of its electorate. The near-complete vote count on October 25, 2026 confirmed the party’s “devastating blow” and triggered internal soul-searching.
02
Background & Context
Shas traditionally relied on a high-birth-rate base that should have expanded its parliamentary strength. In 2022 the party won 11 seats with 8.25 % of the valid ballots. The 2026 result marks its worst performance since 1992 and follows a prolonged political battle over Haredi military conscription. The Israeli High Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that blanket exemptions for yeshiva students lacked legal basis, intensifying the draft debate that dominated Shas’s recent campaigns.
03
Data & Statistics
- 2022 vote total: 392,964 (8.25 % of ballots) -> 11 seats
- 2026 vote total: ~275,000 (?5.3 % of ballots) -> 6 seats (some outlets project a possible seventh seat pending double-envelope counts)
- Seat loss: 5 seats (?45 % reduction)
- Vote loss: ~118,000 votes (?30 % decline)
04
Official Statements & Responses
- He warned against “heads to roll” and blamed the party’s hardline stance on conscription for alienating the Haredi public.
- Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Shas’s spiritual leader, is reported to be preparing a request to the Council of Torah Sages to discuss removing Deri from the chairmanship, citing the party’s “extremist” direction on the draft issue.
05
Criticism & Opposition
- Critics within the party argue that Deri’s focus on lower-income periphery communities and non-Haredi Jews diverted attention from the core ultra-Orthodox electorate, exacerbating the loss of votes in both Haredi cities and peripheral strongholds.
06
Verbatim Quotes
- “We lost almost 50% of our seats. This is something that is truly traumatic, a shock and a tremendous blow to our entire community.” — Shlomo Benizri, former shas minister
07
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Seat projections differ: some sources anticipate six seats, while others, citing near-complete counts, suggest seven seats could be allocated after double-envelope ballots are tallied.
- The exact impact of Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef’s alleged move to convene the Council of Torah Sages remains unverified, with reports varying on whether he will successfully challenge Deri’s leadership.
08
What’s Next
Arye Deri has signaled his intention to steer Shas’s recovery personally, despite rumors of his possible ouster. Meanwhile, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef’s reported initiative to convene the Council of Torah Sages could set the stage for a leadership contest within the party. The broader political landscape will watch how Shas reconciles its hardline conscription stance with the need to rebuild its traditional voter base ahead of the next Knesset session.