Shas chairman Aryeh Deri sharply criticized the newly announced political partnership between former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, calling it a 'brotherhood of hatred.' The two leaders revealed they will run together in the 2026 Knesset election, rekindling their previous alliance.

Deri claimed the union is an attempt to restore what he described as a destructive left-wing government that previously included a broad coalition of parties from across the political spectrum, including an Islamist faction. He argued that their shared agenda is rooted in opposition to religious tradition and what he termed 'Second Israel,' a phrase often used to describe Mizrahi Jewish communities.

During their prior term in office, Bennett and Lapid advanced religious reforms that reduced ultra-Orthodox control over religious institutions and increased recognition of more liberal Orthodox movements. Those reforms were later reversed through efforts led by Shas.