Trying to recover from its recent election loss, resulting in Shas being a mere member of the Knesset opposition, no longer a major powerbroker, Shas is trying to maintain its powerbase in the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita has reportedly instructed party leader MK Aryeh Deri to work to block the election of Rabbi David Stav.
After the demise of the Amar/Ariel deal, Shas officials are struggling to assemble another deal, something that will permit Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shlomo Amar to serve a second term, in line with the wishes of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita. However, being politically astute, Shas leaders are aware that this is most unlikely based on current realities. Perhaps this has compelled Shas to shift to the offensive. No longer campaigning to advance deals to promote a candidate(s), Shas now seems focused on sabotaging the election of Rabbi David Stav as the next Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. Working in Shas’ favor is the recent veto by the Bayit Yehudi party of the Stern Bill, which would have increased the voting body from 150 to 200. Most of the new members would have been women, and they were more likely to cast a ballot for Rav Stav. Their inclusion in the voting body would also significantly dilute Shas’ control over that body.
For Shas, it involves a great deal more than the candidate himself, also revolving around Shas’ stronghold on the Chief Rabbinate today. This includes the fact that so many Shas-affiliated rabbonim are now serving as civil services rabbonim of major cities around the country. If the likes of Rav Stav and his Tzohar Rabbonim grab a hold of the reigns, it will threaten the future of that powerbase, which represents the last remnants of the former days of glory when Shas MKs filled the seats of senior cabinet ministers. This translates to funding and power, which is a major factor in the decision-making process, compelling Shas to prevent R’ Stav’s election.
According to a recent Channel 10 News documentary, this also ties into the party’s affiliated Badatz Beit Yosef hashgacha. The report documented how the badatz is pushed onto storeowners nationwide by the Shas loyalists filling the posts of chief rabbis. This is a major source of revenue for Shas mosdos, as well as a significant component of the party’s nationwide powerbase. Should Shas find itself out of control in the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, senior party officials are well aware of the costly ramifications that will follow. Shas will now be in opposition on all fronts, and the cash flow generated by holding positions of power will have all but shut down.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
This article is unfair to Shas and to Rav Ovadia. The basic fact is that Rav Druckman and Rav Shteineman, neither one with any association with Shas are very opposed to Rav Stav. So, it’s ok to repeat the secular nonsense that this about grasping for power, and perhaps one’s yetzer may convince him/her that there is some truth to it, but the fact is that most of the Torani community, Shas, Agudah, Degel, and Chardal are opposed to Rav Stav. Why? Two reasons 1- Conversions – As reported in some newspapers Rav Stav plans on liberalizing conversions to allow many more of the Russian goyim living in Israel to be allowed to convert without accepting all Mitzvohs. 2- He campaigned and invited the secular Jews to promote and move his campaign forward. This is very dangerous. Today it is the Zvhil Rebbe’s grandson, tomorrow it’s some Reform Rabbi who will make a total mockery of Torah Jewry. 3) He is not learned enough. He is not known to be a great Talmud Chacham and would leave the Rabbnut in intellectually lacking. So out of respect for the great Gaon Rav Ovadia, who has done more for Sephardic Jewry than any one individual since the passing of Maran the Beth Yosef, I think his motives should be presented a little bit better than was done in this article.