Aryeh Deri Resigns from Knesset, Remains Shas Party Chairman

Aryeh Deri, the chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic party Shas, has announced his withdrawal from the electoral list for the 26th Knesset. He will therefore not sit in the next Israeli parliament. The decision comes after the heavy electoral setback of Shas, which went from 11 to 6 seats in the elections of October 27. Deri will however maintain the presidency of the party, as decided by the Council of Torah Sages, which had recently rejected his request to resign from the leadership. He will continue to lead Shas from outside the Knesset, maintaining a role in defining the party's political line and in the negotiations for the formation of the next Israeli government.