Eli Yishai

Eli Yishai – Life, Career, and Influence

Discover the life and political journey of Eli Yishai, the Israeli politician born December 26, 1962 — from his rise in Shas and ministerial roles to founding Yachad — and understand his controversies, ideology, and legacy.

Introduction

Eliyahu “Eli” Yishai (Hebrew: אליהו “אלי” ישי) is an Israeli political figure best known for his leadership (former) of the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox party Shas, service as a cabinet minister in multiple Israeli governments, and later the founding of the Yachad party.

In this article, we delve into his background, political career, controversies, ideological positions, and the impact he has had on Israeli society and the political right.

Early Life and Family

Eli Yishai was born in Jerusalem on December 26, 1962. second of seven children in a family of Tunisian Jewish immigrants. Tunisia.

Yishai grew up in a religious and traditional environment, attending Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem and later Yeshivat HaNegev in Netivot for religious studies.

In 1980, he enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and served until 1983.

Yishai is married and is father to five children (some sources say six).

Youth, Education & Early Involvement

Yishai’s formative years were steeped in religious study and community life. His yeshiva education shaped both his worldview and his connections within the ultra-Orthodox religious community.

His early public service began at the municipal level: he was a member of Jerusalem’s City Council from 1987 to 1988.

Though he ran for the Knesset in the 1992 elections, he did not win a seat then. Knesset as a representative of Shas.

Political Career & Achievements

Rise in Shas and Early Ministerial Roles

• After entering the Knesset in 1996, Yishai was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, holding that role until 2000.

• In 2000, when Shas’s founding leader Aryeh Deri was convicted of corruption, Yishai was chosen to lead the party.

• As leader, he shifted Shas toward a more explicitly right-wing posture, aligning more closely with religious nationalism and hardline stances on identity and immigration.

Cabinet Offices & Influence

Yishai held multiple high-profile ministerial and deputy-prime-ministerial roles over his career:

• Interior Minister & Deputy Prime Minister (2001–2003) under Ariel Sharon in a national unity government.

• After 2006 elections, in the government of Ehud Olmert, he served as Minister of Industry, Trade, & Labor and again as Deputy Prime Minister.

• From 2009 to 2013, under Benjamin Netanyahu’s governments, Yishai returned to the roles of Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister.

As Interior Minister, he took some controversial stances—for example, he refused to cede jurisdiction over Christian holy sites to the Vatican, effectively blocking an agreement with the Holy See.

He was also vocal on immigration and asylum issues. In 2009, he opposed granting permanent settlement rights to African migrants, attributing to them the introduction of diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis, measles, and AIDS (though the Ministry of Health’s data contradicted these claims).

Break from Shas and Founding Yachad

By 2013, internal tensions within Shas led to Yishai being ousted as party leader, replaced by Aryeh Deri. December 2014, he formally left Shas and announced the establishment of a new religious political party, Yachad (Hebrew for “Together”).

Yachad positions itself on the right-wing to far-right end of the spectrum, combining ultra-Orthodox interests, religious Zionism, social conservatism, and national conservatism. 2015 elections, Yachad ran in alliance with Otzma Yehudit but received about 2.97% of the vote, falling short of the electoral threshold (3.25%), so it did not enter the Knesset.

Subsequently, Yachad has not been very electorally successful.

Ideology, Controversies, and Public Image

Ideological Stance

Yishai’s political identity is shaped by these central themes:

• Religiously conservative and Sephardic Jewish identity — He has been a strong voice for the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic community, emphasizing religious law, communal autonomy, and traditional values.

• Hardline views on immigration and national identity — He has framed asylum seekers and non-Jewish immigrants as threats to national identity, frequently linking them to crime or disease.

• Assertive sovereignty over disputed territory — On issues like Jerusalem, he opposes concessions and supports expanded settlement and control.

• Social conservatism — He has opposed gay pride events, framed homosexuality as a disease, and supported legislation enforcing observance of Sabbath and religious mores.

Major Controversies & Criticisms

Yishai has been at the center of multiple controversies over the years, some of which have tarnished his public image:

1. Comments on immigrants and disease
   His claim that African migrants bring diseases was widely criticized and contradicted by health data.

2. Rhetoric about Muslims and infiltration
   In interviews, he suggested that Muslim immigrants do not believe the land belongs to Israelis, using terms like “infiltration.”

3. Statements on Gaza
   During Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, Yishai was quoted as saying the goal was to push Gaza “back to the Middle Ages,” reasoning that only such devastation would guarantee Israel’s calm for decades.

4. Remarks regarding homosexuality
   In 2006, he called homosexuality a “disease” and suggested gay individuals should aim for “recovery.”

5. Internal party conflict and authority disputes
   His fall from leadership in Shas and split to form Yachad revealed deep internal conflicts and accusations of betrayal. Many in Shas and its Council of Torah Sages opposed his departure.

Because of these, Yishai is often described not just as a religious hardliner but as someone whose rhetoric sometimes inflames divisions and directly challenges moderation in Israel’s political discourse.

Legacy and Influence

Though Yishai’s later career has been hampered by electoral failures, his influence within religious Zionist and Sephardic ultra-Orthodox politics remains notable:

• He reshaped Shas during his tenure, pushing it toward more overtly nationalistic, right-wing stances.

• His hardline approach has influenced other religious-party leaders on the Right, particularly in blending religious identity with nationalist assertions.

• As founder of Yachad, even though the party failed electorally, he attempted to carve out a new path merging segments of ultra-Orthodox and religious Zionist politics.

• His rhetoric and policy proposals remain part of debates over immigration, the nature of Israel as a Jewish state, and the proper balance between religion and state.

His controversial statements have also made him a lightning rod, and many view him as emblematic of the more hard-edged voices in Israel’s religious politics.

Selected Public Statements

Here are a few notable statements attributed to Eli Yishai:

• On immigration and disease:

  “They bring in a range of diseases such as hepatitis, measles, tuberculosis and AIDS.”

• On attacks from Gaza:

  “The goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages, only then will Israel be calm for the next 40 years.”

• On Muslim immigrants:

  “Muslims that arrive here do not even believe that this country belongs to us …”

• On LGBTQ issues (in 2006):

  He characterized homosexuality as a “disease” and urged recovery.

These statements reflect the controversial and uncompromising style with which Yishai has engaged public discourse.

Lessons & Reflections

From the life of Eli Yishai, several broader observations emerge:

1. Religion and nationalism can deeply intertwine
   Yishai’s career exemplifies how religious identity and nationalist sentiment can reinforce one another politically.

2. Rhetoric matters
   His blunt, often hostile language has drawn both support and condemnation—underscoring how communication style can amplify or impair influence.

3. Splitting parties is risky
   Founding Yachad illustrates that even high-profile politicians struggle to maintain relevance when leaving established bases.

4. Controversy can both boost and limit influence
   While provocative statements keep one in headlines, they also alienate moderate constituencies.

Conclusion

Eli Yishai remains a significant, if polarizing, figure in Israeli politics. Born into a religious Tunisian immigrant family in Jerusalem, he rose to lead one of Israel’s most influential ultra-Orthodox parties, held key ministerial roles, and sought to chart a new political direction with Yachad. His legacy is a complex tapestry of religious advocacy, hardline stances, internal party struggles, and controversial rhetoric.