Israel’s newly formed Achi party is reportedly engaged in advanced talks with several prominent Sephardic rabbinic leaders, including one current member of Shas’ Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, in a move that could reshape support within the Sephardic Chareidi community ahead of the next Knesset election.

According to a report by Bavli, less than a month after the party’s official launch event in Netivot, Achi has been holding high-level discussions with two of the South’s most prominent rabbanim. If successful, the effort could significantly strengthen the party’s standing among Sephardic Chareidi voters.

One of the rabbanim said to be involved in the discussions is Rav Yitzchak Barda, head of the Yitzchak Yeranen institutions in Ashkelon and the brother-in-law of the late Rosh Yeshiva Rav Meir Mazuz, zt”l. Rav Barda studied at the Kissei Rachamim institutions and is regarded as part of that broader community. His political affiliations have shifted over the years: before the 23rd Knesset election he supported United Torah Judaism, later backed Betzalel Smotrich, despite the fact that Rav Mazuz publicly supported Shas in the most recent election.

Another senior figure reportedly in talks with the party is Rav Yoram Cohen, one of Be’er Sheva’s veteran rabbanim, the rav of the city’s Ramot neighborhood, and head of the Imrei Yosef institutions. Rav Cohen studied at the local Bnei Akiva yeshiva and later at Yeshivas Kerem B’Yavneh, where he received semichah. He narrowly lost the fiercely contested election for chief rabbi of Be’er Sheva to Rav Avraham Deri—the son of Rav Yehudah Deri, zt”l, and nephew of Shas chairman Aryeh Deri—by a single vote, 26 to 25.

According to a senior source within the party, discussions are also underway with a current member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah. The source claimed that if those talks are successful, they could eventually result in the rav’s support for the party. The report noted that even before joining the Moetzet, the rav’s support for Shas was not considered automatic, and that since his appointment he has, on multiple occasions, voiced criticism of the party’s policies and decisions.

Political insiders familiar with the electoral landscape believe that while neither Rav Barda nor Rav Cohen has been closely identified with Shas in recent years, an official endorsement from the two—particularly if accompanied by support from a member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah—would give Achi far greater legitimacy among Sephardic Chareidi voters. Such backing could also strengthen the party’s position in the event of future electoral alliances.

The report comes less than a month after Achi formally launched its campaign at Ahuzat Daniel Hall in Netivot. During the event, party chairman Yuval Elimelech, who also manages the educational institutions of Rav Chaim Yosef Dovid Abergel, outlined the movement’s vision of bringing together different segments of Israeli society.

Delivering the keynote address, Rav Chaim Yosef Dovid Abergel, widely known as the Chida, said the party’s mission is “to unite and not divide.” The movement has announced its intention to compete in the next Knesset election, and the latest report suggests it may soon receive backing from additional prominent rabbinic leaders.