Shas leader Aryeh Deri and the Complications He Comes With

 Nadene Goldfoot                                         

Rabbi Aryeh Mahlouf Deri is one of the founders of the Shas political party (Originally a small ethnic political group, Shas is Israel's third-largest party in the Knesset, since the elections in March 2021. From 1984 to 2021, it almost always formed a part of the governing coalition, whether the ruling party was Labor or Likud; however, after the 2021 election, Shas joined the opposition)and Deri has served as Israel's Minister of the Interior, Minister of the Development of the Negev and Galilee, Minister of the Economy and as a member in the Security Cabinet of Israel.  As of November 15, 2022, Netanyahu is trying in a meeting between Deri and Smotrich  to convince Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri to give up the treasury portfolio, in favor of security. In that case: 

Likud leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu with Shas leader MK Aryeh Deri, Religious Zionist party head MK Bezalel Smotrich and Party leaders at a swearing-in ceremony of the 25th Knesset, at the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, November 15, 2022.

(photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

Deri will be appointed Minister of Defense and Smotrich will be appointed Minister of Finance.  They are the leaders of their party so their names are first on the list for Netanyahu to make appointments.  Remember, their parties carried lots of seats needed.  (Nope, this has been turned down.  No coalition created as yet.)2:12pm on Monday-Oregon time.  

 In 1999, twenty-three years ago,  Deri was convicted of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and given a three-year jail sentence. Deri was convicted of taking $155,000 in bribes while serving as interior minister, and was given a three-year jail sentence in 2000. He was replaced by Eli Yishai. Due to good behavior, Deri was released from Maasiyahu Prison in 2002, after serving 22 months.  Below shows Deri's dates as minister of Interior.  The Ministry of Interior (Hebrew: משרד הפנים, Misrad HaPnim; Arabic: وزارة الداخلية) in the State of Israel is one of the government offices that is responsible for local government, citizenship and residency, identity cards, and student and entry visas. The current Minister is Ayelet Shaked.

11

Aryeh Deri

Shas

23, 24, 25

22 December 1988

11 May 1993

–

Aryeh Deri

Shas

25

7 June 1993

14 September 1993

Aryeh Deri

Shas

34, 35

11 January 2016

13 June 2021

Leader Isaac Herzog on Tuesday also released his February paycheck slip, revealing his gross monthly income of NIS 45,356, and a net monthly income of NIS 20,317.

In 2016, Netanyahu, PM of Israel, let everyone see his salary slip.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earns a gross monthly salary of NIS 48,800 ($12,500), a pay slip posted on Twitter by the Prime Minister’s Office revealed on Tuesday. Out of that, he had to pay $3,200 towards his armored car.   From this, you can figure out how much the Minister of Interior might receive, if any.  With 9 children to feed and clothe, Deri still had no excuse for what he did.  

At the end of 2012, ahead of the elections for the nineteenth Knesset, he returned to lead the Shas party. He was placed in the 2nd position, and was re-elected to the Knesset. In May 2013, he was re-appointed to the role of Shas chairman. 

In December 2021, it was reported that Deri will resign from the Knesset as part of a plea deal for tax offences.  Now in 2022, he is part of the religious coalition of Benjamin Netanyahu, who has worked with him time and again.  

Rabbi Aryeh Mahlouf Deri, important Israeli politician,  was born in Meknes, Morocco, to Esther (née Azougi) and Eliyahu Deri, so he's a Sephardi. His parents lived in one of the new wealthy districts of the city, and were influenced by French culture. His father owned a successful business of tailoring, and his family were traditional Jews, but not Orthodox. 

At the age of 5, Deri was enrolled at Ozar Hatorah, a school that combined secular and Orthodox Jewish religious education. In 1968, at the age of 9, his family made Aliyah and settled in Bat Yam in Israel. Deri attended a religious boarding school in Hadera. In 1973, he began to study at Porat Yosef, a leading Sephardic yeshiva in Jerusalem. In May 1976, he transferred to Hebron Yeshiva, where he received his rabbinical ordination. In 1981, he married Yaffa Cohen.

In addition to Hebrew, Deri is fluent in Moroccan Arabic and French.  That's 4 languages, typical of so many Israelis.    His older brother, Yehuda Deri, is the Chief Rabbi and Av Beit Din of the city Be'er Sheva. He is also a member of The Chief Rabbinate Council. Another brother of Deri, Shlomo, is a lawyer.

After completing his yeshiva studies, Deri was appointed secretary of the Haredi settlement of Ma'ale Amos, and joined the Gush Etzion Regional Council. In 1983, he was appointed administrative manager of Lev Banim Yeshiva.

Deri is married, and has nine children. He lives in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem.  Har Nof (Hebrew: הר נוף, lit. scenic mountain) is a neighborhood on a hillside on the western boundary of Jerusalem with a population of 20,000 residents, primarily Orthodox Jews.

 Netanyahu, however, has  given the Finance Ministry to Shas leader Aryeh Deri. But Deri might not be able to serve as minister, since he also served a prison sentence for tax evasion. The US administration is pressuring Netanyahu not to give Smotrich the Defense Ministry, although it's highly unlikely that Netanyahu would make Smotrich Defense Minister, who wants it badly,  under any circumstances.

Update 11/30/22--Likud and Religious Zionism met for hours last night and today, and are reportedly prepared to sign a coalition agreement later today. As part of the agreement Religious Zionism leader Smotrich and Shas leader Deri will share the finance and interior ministries, trading places after 2 years. Coalition agreements have still not be signed with Shas or United Torah Judaism. Soon-to-be Prime Minister Netanyahu is reportedly planning to ask President Herzog for a 14 day extension to form a government. He needs time to pass a law in the Knesset that would allow Shas leader Deri to serve as a minister despite the fact that he served prison time for tax evasion.

Resource:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/nis-12000-of-pms-monthly-pay-deducted-for-armored-car/

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