Shas waits in silence as United Torah Judaism celebrates exit polls

The two established ultra-Orthodox parties in Israel responded very differently to the exit polls released on election night. Ynet reported that Shas, the party led by Aryeh Deri, was projected to win between 6 and 8 seats, and that Deri decided not to deliver a speech, telling supporters the party would wait for the actual results.

At United Torah Judaism, the mood was festive. According to Ynet, the party's chairman, Yaakov Asher, went out to supporters together with his predecessor, Moshe Gafni, in what the outlet framed as a handover of leadership. News.co.il reported that the two men were filmed celebrating once the polls were published. Ynet also carried the reaction of a third party, HaTzibur HaHaredi ("the Haredi public"), which according to the exit polls did not cross the electoral threshold.

Who the Haredi parties are

"Haredi" is the Hebrew term for ultra-Orthodox Jews, a community defined by strict religious observance and, in many cases, a way of life centred on Torah study. Politically, the community has for decades been represented in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, mainly by two parties.

Shas draws its core support from Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, those whose families trace their roots to North Africa and the Middle East, though it presents itself as a movement that appeals to traditional voters more broadly. Aryeh Deri is its long-time political leader.

United Torah Judaism (in Hebrew, Yahadut HaTorah) represents mainly Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox voters, whose families trace their origins to Central and Eastern Europe. Moshe Gafni has been one of its most prominent figures. Ynet's description of the evening as a passing of the baton reflects that Yaakov Asher is now the party's chairman, with Gafni as his predecessor.

What exit polls mean in Israel

Israeli television channels publish exit polls, known in Hebrew as "midgamim" (samples), as soon as voting ends. They estimate how many Knesset seats each party will receive. In Israeli political shorthand, a seat is called a "mandate", which is the term used in the reports.

Exit polls are projections rather than results. Final figures can shift as the full count comes in, particularly for parties close to the electoral threshold, the minimum share of the national vote a list must win to enter the Knesset at all. A list that falls below it receives no seats, and its votes do not count toward any party's representation. That is why the fate of a smaller list such as HaTzibur HaHaredi is closely watched on election night.

Deri's response

The accounts of Deri's reaction differ in emphasis. Ynet described what it called a thunderous silence at Shas, reporting that Deri chose not to speak and quoting him as saying the party would await the true results.

News.co.il, however, published a statement attributed to Deri in which he thanked God and expressed heartfelt gratitude to "hundreds of thousands of citizens of Israel from all sectors" who, in his words, chose "the path of faith" and voted for the Shas movement. The reports do not make clear whether this was a written statement issued instead of a speech, or how its timing related to the decision Ynet described. The two accounts are not necessarily in conflict, but they give different impressions of how the party responded.

United Torah Judaism's celebration

Both organisations described a joint appearance by Asher and Gafni. Ynet presented it as an occasion marking the transfer of leadership from one to the other, while News.co.il focused on footage of the two men celebrating after the polls were broadcast. Neither report, as provided, gives United Torah Judaism's projected seat count.

What the reports do not say

The material leaves several questions open. It does not state how many seats the exit polls projected for United Torah Judaism, or what exactly prompted its leaders to celebrate. It does not say which channel's exit polls produced the 6 to 8 seat range for Shas, or how that compares with the party's previous strength. It does not give HaTzibur HaHaredi's projected share of the vote, who leads it, or what it said in response, beyond Ynet's note that it reacted. It does not explain the circumstances of Deri's statement relative to his decision not to speak. Finally, none of the reports address what the projections mean for coalition building. All figures cited here are exit poll estimates, and official results may differ.