Eliyahu 'Eli' Yishai (born December 26, 1962, in Jerusalem, Israel) is a former Israeli politician known for his prominent role in the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, a Sephardic Haredi political party. He entered the Knesset in 1996 representing Shas and held several high-profile ministerial positions, including Minister of Internal Affairs (2002-2009 and 2013-2014), Minister of Industry, Trade, and Labor (2009-2013), and Deputy Prime Minister (2013-2014). As a close ally and deputy to Shas leader Aryeh Deri, Yishai was instrumental in advancing the party's agenda on religious, social welfare, and Sephardic Jewish issues. He served as leader of Shas from 2012 to 2014 before splitting to form the Yachad party in December 2014, aiming to represent a more hardline religious-nationalist stance. Yishai's political career has been marked by controversies, including allegations of corruption during his tenure as Interior Minister, though he has denied wrongdoing and faced no convictions. Throughout his career, he has been a vocal proponent of Jewish religious law in governance, opposing secular reforms and supporting settlement expansion. His influence remains significant within Israel's religious political networks, particularly among Mizrahi and Sephardic communities.