Accompanied by the realization efforts are underway to hold elections for chief rabbis in Yerushalayim, politicians and interested parties appear to be back in the deal-making business.

Much has occurred in the political community between Shas and Jerusalem City Hall in the past year, including threats by Deri to challenge Barkat in the Supreme Court and some very harsh criticism of the mayor and his administration in the media by Deri. Hence, the mayor no longer appears interested in partnering with the Shas leader in the upcoming Jerusalem Rabbinate election. The mayor at one point signaled he might be willing to back Shas’ candidate for the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem in exchange for Shas’ support for the dati candidate in the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi race.

It now appears that since the mayor and Deri are political adversaries, the mayor is publicly expressing support for Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Amar Shlita for the post of Sephardi rav of the city. Rav Amar is an adversary of Deri, with the Shas leader doing everything to oppose him when possible. The mayor is not hiding his vision, sharing his view with a number of Ashkenazi chareidi city councilmen.

Things being what they are today, the mayor and the dati leumi community have the ability to vote in both Rabbi Stern and Rabbi Amar and there would be little the chareidim and/or Shas can do to prevent it other than continuing to petition the Supreme Court to delay the election. It has been over a decade since the capital had chief rabbis as a result of an inability to reach agreement.

At one point last year when the election appeared imminent, Shas was trying to get one of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef’s ZT”L sons into the post.

When asked to respond, gabboim for Rav Amar explain he made his position clear in a letter released a long time ago, and to date, nothing has changed. Rav Amar is not interested in running in the Jerusalem Rabbinate election.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)