MK Ariel Atias, chairman of the Shas faction, announced today (Thursday) to members of the Council of Torah Sages, headed by Chacham Shalom Cohen, and to the movement's chairman, MK Aryeh Deri, that he has decided to resign from the Knesset.
The announcement comes after several conversations on the subject with members of the Council of Elders and the chairman of the movement, in which Atias promised that he would continue to stand to the right of Shas, and that he would engage in public activity on its behalf, even while outside the political system.
Alongside the announcement to the movement's leaders, Atias also issued a statement today to the Shas supporters: "I have had the privilege of being the emissary of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and the members of the Council of Torah Sages, to serve the public as the representative of the Shas movement in the Knesset and in my roles as Minister of Communications and Minister of Construction and Housing in the Israeli government.
""During my duties, I tried to act to the best of my ability, loyally and professionally, for the benefit of all citizens of Israel and to fulfill the mission assigned to me.".
In the statement, Atias explains the background to the decision: "After many years of intensive activity, day and night, for the benefit of the public, and after the passing of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, I felt the need to take a break from my membership in the Knesset.".
Atias concludes his remarks by thanking the leaders of the movement. "I would like to thank the rabbis and rabbis of the Council of Torah Scholars, and my friends, the chairman of the movement, Rabbi Aryeh Deri, and the Shas Knesset members, for the great trust they have placed in me to this day. I intend to continue to stand on the right side of the Shas movement and engage in public activity that will be assigned to me by the Council of Torah Scholars and the chairman of the movement.".
In Atias' place, Yoav Ben-Zur will enter the Knesset.
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