The white BMW 7 Series 735 sedan that has served Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita is being traded in as Shas embarks on its election campaign. The vehicle, which was donated by a benefactor, has been the subject of many news articles in Israel, questioning why the rav requires such an expensive car.

According to the daily Maariv, it appears Shas leaders have become sensitive to the car issue, opting to trade it in for a Skoda, explaining “for the party which professes to champion the plight of the improvised, the BMW is the wrong image” Maariv reports.

A “Shas source” quoted anonymously states “one might say that the economic protests have influenced Rav Ovadia’s home too. They can’t ignore the price of the vehicle while Aryeh Deri speaks about those who have nothing.”

Another Shas source attributes the trade in decision to the “high cost of maintaining such a vehicle”, adding in the last months, the rav rarely travels out of the city in any event.”

In the past, when coming under fire over the expensive vehicle, Shas officials’ simply responded “It was donated. Certainly Rav Ovadia does not care what kind of vehicle he is driven in, nor is he aware of such matters.”

It appears that today, Shas is showing an increased sensitivity to such matters as it is vying for a senior position in the next coalition government.

The price of the new Skoda is 200,000 NIS.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)