Shas Denies Reports It Will Join an Eisenkot-Led Coalition

Shas denied reports Saturday that it had agreed to join a government led by Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, saying it remained part of the right-wing bloc.

The party called the reports false and said its position followed the instructions of its Council of Torah Sages. It stressed that only official Shas announcements represented its decisions, not reports from journalists or social-media commentators.

The denial followed an N12 report that Shas would not obstruct the formation of an opposition-led coalition involving United Torah Judaism. The denial does not establish whether informal talks have taken place, but it rules out treating reported negotiations as a confirmed commitment by Shas.

The dispute comes as Eisenkot prepares to receive the first opportunity to form a government. His possible coalition partners remain divided over military conscription and whether to rely on support from Arab-led parties.

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman said Friday that he was willing to compromise on the enlistment law in an effort to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That shift concerned potential coalition negotiations, not an agreed draft law or a completed coalition deal.

United Torah Judaism has welcomed greater flexibility over conscription while leaving decisions to its rabbinical leadership. Shas's public statement makes clear that it has not announced a move into an Eisenkot-led government.