In his motzei shabbos drasha Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita made a reference to the statement by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who plans to take the housing portfolio from Shas and give it to someone on the Likud/Beitenu list. Shas has traditionally sought the housing and interior ministry portfolios, but the prime minister has already announced the housing portfolio will not be an option for Shas in the next coalition.

Rav Ovadia praised the current minister of housing, Shas’ very own Ariel Atias, questioning rhetorically “what hasn’t he done for the low income and others, both Ashkenazim and Sephardim. All the previous ministers would sit in their office and smoke a hookah (water pipe/nargilla).” The rav strongly came out in support of Atias and his accomplishments for the betterment of the weaker sectors of Israeli society.

The rav’s words were in response to a Channel 2 interview with the prime minister, in which he stated the housing portfolio would not be given to another part when the next coalition is formed.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)