Shas representatives met with President Shimon Peres, who will decide who gets the presidential mandate to form a coalition government. As expected, Shas recommended that the mandate be given to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Interestingly, unlike the other party representatives who sat opposite the president, it appears Mr. Peres wished to avoid any controversy as to the party leadership and both Aryeh Deri and Eli Yishai sat at the president’s side, one to his left and one to his right. The Shas delegates delivered a message to the president at the beginning of the meeting.

The Gadol Hador was quoted calling on the president to do his utmost to avoid a major rift in the nation and to seek an appropriate solution for those who dedicate their lives to limud Torah.

At the end of the meeting, Yishai told the president that he is well aware that since Churban Bayis Sheni there has been limud Torah and this is what has sustained Am Yisrael throughout the galus and this is what sustains Eretz Yisrael today. He warned that any effort to change this reality would result in a major split in the nation.

Following the meeting Aryeh Deri told reporters that Shas recommended the prime minister. He added “we expect that Netanyahu will act as he indicated he would in conversations with me and my colleagues, and next week he will begin serious talks to build a broad coalition. I hope he will not disqualify certain parties which are representative of entire communities. We too have our limits.”

Deri also told reporters they delivered a personal letter from R’ Ovadia urging the president to do his utmost to prevent a civil war.

Earlier in the day, the president met with Bayit HaYehudi and Labor representatives. Bayit HaYehudi recommended Prime Minister Netanyahu while Labor opted not to make a recommendation regarding the presidential mandate.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)