A spokesman for the Shas party has walked back his comments after suggesting that the Israeli public might be growing weary of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s premiership.

In a political column for the party’s official newspaper, Asher Medina wrote, “Netanyahu may receive good marks for the conduct of the war, but on the day after, most of the public wants to see a new, young, determined, and above all groundbreaking leadership.”

“No more of what we already know. It’s been enough for us,” he wrote.

Medina pointed to a decline in Netanyahu’s popularity following the October 7 attack by Hamas, which led to a 20-year low in the public’s trust in the ruling government, according to the Israel Democracy Institute. Their survey indicated that more than two-thirds of Israelis favored calling elections once the war against Hamas concluded.

Simultaneously, a Channel 12 poll revealed that if elections were held at that time, Netanyahu’s prewar coalition would secure only 44 Knesset seats, potentially paving the way for National Unity party leader Benny Gantz to form a government. The poll also showed that Shas and United Torah Judaism, long-standing supporters of Netanyahu, would maintain their 11 and seven seats, respectively.

However, Medina later clarified his statement, insisting that it was misinterpreted and misrepresented. He said, “Most of the column dealt with Netanyahu’s strengths as a person who has no worthy alternative,” and added that Shas is focused on supporting the war effort and the evacuees, backing the Prime Minister and the unity of the coalition, rather than engaging in political discussions.

Aryeh Deri, the leader of Shas, is reported to have played a significant role in bringing Gantz into the wartime government, thus moderating the influence of the far-right parties Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit within the coalition.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)