Friday, October 24, 2008 Torah Sages Council rules Shas won't join government

Torah Sages Council rules Shas won't join government
Council members vote in telephone survey against joining Livni-led
coalition. Statement released by ultra-Orthodox party says, 'Difficulties
and hardship of disadvantaged population cannot be ignored'
Attila Somfalvi YNET Published: 10.24.08, 10:42 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3612518,00.html

The Shas party has officially announced that its Council of Torah Sages
decided not to join a new government led by Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni.

The party said in a statement that Shas had demanded real aid for the
disadvantaged population and sought to protect Jerusalem.

"We cannot ignore the difficulties and hardship on days when the developed
countries report is being published, and Israel is first in poverty. We
suggested solutions for the poverty issues and Jerusalem, but our opinion
was not accepted and thus we will not be able to join the government," the
statement said.

This is great news and just might mean elections in Israel.

Livni can barley get to 61 seats in the Knesset that will back her government , so rather than have a weak narrow government she just may go for elections.

We then have a chance to get the far left out of office to be replaced by the left of center Likud.