Shas (political party)

Shas is a deeply conservative Israeli political party that predominantly serves the interests of Haredi—or ultra-Orthodox— Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish people. Originally founded in 1984 by the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Shas’ primary aim is to fight anti-Sephardic and anti-Mizrahi prejudice and discrimination. Although it started out as little more than a minor ethnic political group, Shas eventually grew to become one of the largest political parties in the Knesset, Israel’s unicameral national legislature. Its strength is evidenced by Shas consistently maintaining a presence within Israel’s governing coalition since the time of the party’s formation regardless of whether Labor or Likud was the active ruling party. In addition to representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish people, Shas is particularly committed to leading on social justice and economic matters. “Shas” itself is not a word but a Hebrew acronym for “Shomrei Sfarad,” or the Union of Sephardic Torah Observers.

Background

To understand what the Shas party represents and stands for, it is first necessary to understand the differences between the unique ethnic subgroups within Judaism. Judaism has two main Jewish subgroups: Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish people. While both groups share the same fundamental beliefs, Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish people differ in a number of key ways. Traditionally, the primary distinction between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish people is their geographic origins. Ashkenazic Jewish people are those whose ethnic origins are traced back to Germany, France, and Eastern Europe. Sephardic Jewish people, on the other hand, trace their roots to Spain, Portugal, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Although the cultural tradition of Ashkenazic Jewish people originated in medieval Germany, the term “Ashkenazim” generally encompasses Jewish people from across Central and Eastern Europe. Most of the Ashkenazim eventually settled in Poland before becoming scattered due to the events of World War II and the Holocaust. Many ultimately relocated to North America and Israel. Over the course of their history, Ashkenazic Jewish people introduced many of the Jewish culture’s modern denominations and secular institutions. In Israel, they also came to wield a great deal of political power and influence.

After first rising to prominence in Spain during the early years of the Common Era, the Sephardim eventually found themselves exiled to North Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere as Christian leaders came into power over time. Regardless of where they ultimately ended up, Sephardic Jewish people brought their distinct culture and traditions with them. Sephardic Jewish people hold religious beliefs that are closely in line with Orthodox Judaism and often interpret Jewish Law in different ways than their Ashkenazic cousins. They also differ from Ashkenazic Jewish people in that there are no separate organized movements within Sephardic Judaism. In terms of their cultural customs, Sephardic Jewish people pronounce some Hebrew letter differently, follow different prayer services, observe different holiday traditions, and eat different traditional foods. Sephardic Jewish people also share a close relationship with Mizrahi Jewish people, the latter of which are an equally Orthodox Jewish community that originated in North Africa and the Middle East. Many Sephardic Jewish people were absorbed into Mizrahi communities upon their expulsion from Spain.

Overview

In the years following World War II, political leaders around the world recognized the need for an independent Jewish state in Palestine. This eventually led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. While the establishment of Israel provided a home for many of the Jewish people left displaced by the Holocaust and other events that unfolded in Europe during the war, it upset many of the region’s Arab inhabitants and sparked an intense backlash. Faced with increasing persecution and violence, many Sephardic Jewish people from across the Middle East were forced to flee from their homes and resettle in Israel.

In the early years of the State of Israel, the Israeli political scene was dominated by Ashkenazic Jewish people, many of whom viewed the Sephardim as one of the more culturally primitive aspects of the Jewish community that Israel would have to outgrow if it was to achieve full integration into the modern Western establishment. Still, Sephardic Jewish people did not initially form their own political parties or other institutions. Instead, most were simply absorbed into those created by Ashkenazic Jewish people. Eventually, however, the tense ethnic divisions that arose between the Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish people became a serious enough problem to warrant action.

In the 1970s and 1980s, several Sephardic political parties were formed. One of the major figures in the emergence of Sephardic Jewish people in Israeli politics was Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. A leading Talmudic authority and a former Sephardic chief rabbi, Yosef was one of the Sephardim’s most respected voices. In 1984, he founded a Sephardic political party called Shas. From the outset, Yosef viewed Shas as a valuable tool for fighting back against the economic and social discrimination that the Sephardim faced in Israel.

Shas is primarily concerned with the welfare of Sephardic Israelis and the propagation of their unique way of life. To that end, the party supports the creation of a state run according to Jewish religious law and actively encourages non-Orthodox Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish people to adopt an Orthodox lifestyle. Shas also created El ha-Ma’ayan, a government-funded education system that promotes Sephardic values. In addition, the party seeks to secure compensation for the many Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish people who were forced to leave their homes and flee to Israel because of the unrest that occurred when the state was formed. Where social matters are concerned, members of the Shas party are strictly conservative. For example, Shas is known for being against any public expression of homosexuality. Although it initially took a moderate stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Shas eventually moved rightward and became opposed to any attempt at slowing or stopping Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

Since taking its first four seats in the Knesset in 1984, Shas has maintained an active presence in the Israeli government, regardless of whether it was controlled by the right or left wing. That being said, Shas remains a minority party even though it won additional seats at various times. Still, the party’s ability to undercut the stability of fragile governing coalitions often affords Shas an outsized degree of political influence.

Bibliography

“Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews.” Judaism 101, 2020, www.jewfaq.org/ashkseph.htm. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

“Israel Political Parties: Shas.” Jewish Virtual Library, 2020, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/shas-political-party. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Kordova, Shoshana. “Word of the Day/Shas: The Party That Ovadia Yosef Founded.” Haaretz, 10 Sept. 2013, www.haaretz.com/.premium-word-of-the-day-shas-1.5347359. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

“Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.” Jewish Virtual Library, 2020, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/rabbi-ovadia-yosef. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Shalev, Sivanne. “Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Parties Explained.” Israel Policy Forum, 2020, israelpolicyforum.org/2019/02/21/israels-ultra-orthodox-parties-explained. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

“Shas.” Israel Policy Forum, 2020, israelpolicyforum.org/shas-v2. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

"Shas Party Leader Threatens to Dissolve Government Over Haredi Army Exemptions." The Palestine Chronicle, 29 Jan. 2025, www.palestinechronicle.com/shas-party-leader-threatens-to-dissolve-government-over-haredi-army-exemptions/. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025. 

Solomin, Rachel M. “Sephardic, Ashkenazic, Mizrahi and Ethiopian Jews.” My Jewish Learning, 2020, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/sephardic-ashkenazic-mizrahi-jews-jewish-ethnic-diversity. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025. .