Shas chairman and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri addressed the party's recent dismal poll results Wednesday evening by saying that there was a coup attempt to take over the party.
"In recent months, there has been an attempt to make a coup in Shas, an unsuccessful attempt," said Deri at a conference of Shas representatives from local municipalities in Tel Aviv.
"I hereby inform you: Shas is our home. We will continue to lead the movement under the President of the Council of Torah Sages and the Council of Sages. This [coup attempt] will not help anyone," Deri added.
A Channel 10poll released last Saturday night showed that if elections were held today, Shas would drop to three seats, below the electoral threshold of four seats needed to secure a place in the Knesset.