---
category: Foreign Government
location: Jerusalem, Israel
start: 1984
summary: The Shas Party is an orthodox political party in Israel, which emerged as
  a significant force in Israeli politics.
tags:
- Organization
- PoliticalParty
- Israel
---

The [Shas Party](/organizations/shas-party/) is an orthodox political party in [Israel](/places/israel/), which emerged as a significant force in Israeli politics. It was at odds with [Menachem Schneerson](/people/menachem-schneerson/), the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and gained influence within the [Likud Party](/organizations/likud-party/)-controlled Israeli government.

In 1987, the [Iran-Israel Joint Committee](/organizations/iran-israel-joint-committee/) redirected funds from the Lubavitcher yeshivahs to the Shas yeshivahs, as the committee and [Schneerson](/people/menachem-schneerson/) parted ways. The [Likud Party](/organizations/likud-party/) considered the support of Ovadia Yousef, an Iraqi-Jewish rabbi who controlled Shas, essential due to his large following in [Israel](/places/israel/)'s Middle Eastern Jewish communities.[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.