Deri Issues Ultimatum: “Shas Will Leave Government if Any Yeshiva Student is Arrested”

Aryeh Deri, chairman of the Shas party and a trusted close partner of Prime Minister Netanyahu, has issued a stern warning to his coalition partners, stating that if even one Yeshiva Bachur is arrested for refusing to serve in the IDF, his party will withdraw from the government.

In an interview with his Party’s ‘Haderch’ newspaper, Deri emphasized that Shas will not remain in the coalition if its demands for an exemption from military service for yeshiva students are not met, similar to threats made by the UTJ party.

“We set a clear condition: if by the start of the summer session, no meaningful progress is made on the core issues of the yeshiva students’ exemption law, we will not participate in Knesset votes,” Deri said.

He noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other coalition members are aware of his ultimatum.

In the interview, Deri also revealed that he was offered to return as a minister in the government, but he declined. Deri shared that both legal experts and government officials told him it was possible for him to return as a minister from a legal standpoint, however, he chose not to pursue it, stating, “Baruch Hashem I don’t need this, and I have no interest in promoting it.”

Deri was removed from the government following a Supreme Court ruling due to his past criminal convictions, most recently for alleged tax fraud in 2022.