In Israel, Shas and United Torah Judaism set out key positions ahead of elections
In Israel, the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) are taking part in the elections to the 26th Knesset, scheduled for October 27. Their key priorities are protecting Torah study, funding religious institutions, and strengthening the role of the Orthodox religious establishment, The Jerusalem Post reports.
Both parties have traditionally belonged to the right-wing camp and were important allies of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition bloc. In the elections to the 25th Knesset, Shas won 11 seats and UTJ won seven. Current polls give them approximately seven and eight seats respectively. At the same time, neither party has committed to joining only a Netanyahu government, and Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef has allowed for supporting a government headed by prime ministerial candidate Gadi Eisenkot.
Conscription and religious issues
One of the main issues for both parties is the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men into the Israel Defense Forces. Shas leader Aryeh Deri criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the High Court's ruling, which required the state to take concrete measures to cancel key financial benefits for draft evaders and move toward criminal prosecution of such individuals.
Both parties promoted legislation that the Knesset recently adopted to enshrine Torah study as a fundamental value in the Basic Laws. Critics of the document said it could encourage draft evasion, while the ultra-Orthodox parties called it a protection of the religious value of full-time Torah study.
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Shas and UTJ oppose civil marriages and other alternatives to religious law, supporting the preservation of the Chief Rabbinate's authority over marriages and conversion to Judaism. They also object to expanding non-Orthodox prayer arrangements near the Western Wall and have historically opposed expanding public transportation and other state activity on Shabbat.
Budget and coalition influence
The parties' greatest economic influence is connected to the state budget. Shas and UTJ seek to maintain or increase funding for ultra-Orthodox schools, yeshivas, families, and childcare programs. In June, they stopped supporting coalition bills after a bill to expand childcare subsidies was removed from the Knesset agenda.
Shas calls for assistance to low-income families, while UTJ focuses more on housing for ultra-Orthodox families and community representation in planning and housing policy bodies. UTJ has not formed a detailed independent position on Gaza, Lebanon, or Iran. Shas supports the elimination of Hamas and the disarmament of Gaza, but opposes indefinite Israeli control over the Strip.
In 2025, both parties left the government after negotiations over a bill to introduce army conscription broke down. According to the publication's assessment, their votes in the Knesset could strengthen the negotiating position of the ultra-Orthodox political bloc during the formation of the next coalition.
