Once again, Shas is signaling it may bring down the government, planning a meeting next week of the party’s Council of Torah Sages to discuss the possibility.
Meetings this week between Finance Minister Roni Bar-On and HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita, as well as with the senior minister and party leader Minister Eli Yishai do not appear to have achieved their intended results. Bar-On has stated emphatically that he will not be part of the decision-making process towards increasing monthly child allowance payments. The Shas leader informed Bar-On the issue is a deal-breaker, telling him the government’s failure to accept the demand will compel Shas to join the opposition. Bar-On nevertheless remains adamantly opposed, explaining the increase in the monthly payment will do nothing towards ending the cycle of poverty.
Shas has already begun to spread the word to its party activists around the country to begin preparing for elections.
Yishai commented that a year ago, Shas indicated it believes elections will take place in 2008 or the beginning of 2009, and following Wednesday’s ultimatum by Ehud Barak, this appears accurate.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
7 Responses
I hope that this time they WILL leave.
They will never leave as long as the money keeps flowing.
When I see it I will believe it.
The truth is Yishai wanted to leave about 2 months ago due to the talks with the Palestinians about Yerushalayim but he was overruled because of his No.2, Attias (Communications Minister), who besides being young and foolish is also leftwing and antichareidi even with his black hat and jacket as has been proven time and time again. In this instance he persuaded the Moetzet Chachmei HaTora that it is necessary to stay in the coalition with the excuse that they need to first finalize the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem position to be given to Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef (son of Maran Rav Ovadya). It seems that the reason Shas have achieved almost nothing under this government is because even Olmert knew that the only thing that really matters to Shas is that rabbinical position and so he VERY slowly moved things forward on that front and ignored all other requests. Well if elections are really gonna be soon then Mr Shas guys, you gonna lose everything – not only no Rabbi of Yerushalayim but no child benefits, no law for Yeshivos Ketanos, no money for anything etc etc.
ya right
as long as they keep on getting money, they arent going anywhere.
harav ovadia is a gadol watch what u say
Shas is leaving the coalition and will be forming a new party together with Meretz. The new alliance will be called Sheretz.