In Shas we are not busy dealing with other people's backyards, so we have not been in contact with the Peleg Yerushalmi people, unlike UTJ - they are dealing in other people's backyards rather than dealing with the thousands of votes abandoning them...

  -- MK Michael Malkieli (Shas), about the deal between Eli Yishai and UTJ

Haha. Malkieli said this this morning when just last night Shas announced they have met with a group of leading Chabad rabbonim and claim to have achieved Chabad support. Chabad was never in UTJ's pocket, and have in the past supported, unofficially because they officially don't get involved openly, other parties, but Chabad is not Shas's backyard and is much closer to UTJ than Shas.

Also, perhaps Shas should talk to the Peleg people to save those votes, if they can possibly come to an agreement. UTJ is not in a position to do so. Just like Shas couldnt save ELi Yishai's votes, but UTJ could, UTJ cant save the Peleg's votes but maybe Shas can.

Shas believes they own certain communities and anybody taking votes from those communities is stealing them from Shas. Even though Shas could not win over Eli Yishai and probably not Yishai's voters, he still think only he has a right to campaign to them. This despite Shas's entire foundation having been base don originally "stealing" sefardi votes from UTJ (ie sefardi haredim), Likud (ie sefardi masoratim) and Mafdal (ie sefardi dati leumi). Deri today also confirmed and said that he told Netanyahu not to get involved with taking votes from Shas and not to give Yishai any promises of ministerial positions against the position of Shas.