According to the daily Yisrael HaYom, Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef will not give his bracha to Rav Aryeh Deri to announce a return to the political arena, with many reports stating he will seek to return to his former position as head of the Shas Party.

The report in the secular newspaper quotes unnamed Shas sources, which reportedly are confident Rav Ovadia will not give his bracha for the move. It adds that Deri is aware of this and is acting accordingly.

The sources point out that prior to the elections Deri sent a shaliach to the Rav explaining he is about to return to politics, but nothing has happened since and nothing is going to happen now.

The sources are quoted as adding, “Rav Ovadia does not read newspapers or internet sites and he is not influenced by their reports”. Rumors were flying last week as well when Deri was seen visiting the Rav, but the meeting lasted for a minutes, apparently to permit Deri to wish the Rav mazel tov on the wedding of a grandchild.

Shas leader Eli Yishai is not responding to the reports but the newspaper adds that people in the inner circle state that Yishai is confident he will not be ousted to permit Deri to return, adding relations between Yishai and Deri have never been better.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)