Unable to put up a candidate of its own, Shas has announced the party is backing the candidacy of Rabbi Shlomo Amar Shlita in the Jerusalem Chief Rabbinate race.
The masterful choreography by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett has left Shas out in the cold, as it was clear its preferred candidate, Rabbi David Yosef, was not going to win this race. Hence, the rabbi recently announced he was not going to run. Kol Berama Radio host Moti Lavi in a morning interview with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat even added Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L promised Rabbi David Yosef he would be the next Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim, but this is not going to be the case.
Now, with a day to the election, Shas realized if Rabbi Amar emerges the successor as many believes will be the case, it will be clear to all that the rav achieved his success without the assistance of Aryeh Deri. This compelled Deri’s hand and the decision to announce the party’s support for Rabbi Amar.
Many believe the announcement is nothing more than satisfying the need for Shas to stand behind a candidate and in fact, the party’s representatives will vote as they wish since it is a secret ballot.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
Shas ought to be firmly punished.
The ashkenazim have bent over backwards and invariably suffered their reputation due to the unscrupulousness of Shas. They accepted it as their lot ,as they took it as their responsibility to the religious sephardim.
But,if corrupt Shas seeks to continue its nepotic Rabbinate alliance with those who care less about halacha than popularity and faddism, then they should finally be shirked off like the albatross they are.
Here we go once more..
Shas Cuts a Deal for Chief Rabbinate Post
(Wednesday, March 20th, 2013)
Shas may be in opposition but Eli Yishai has not lost his ability to cut a deal that benefits party interests.
Shas will receive the backing of coalition parties for Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon Harav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita to serve an additional term. In return, Shas will support a dati leumi candidate for the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi post.
Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs (Bayit Yehudi) Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan on Tuesday, 8 Nissan 5773 announced the bill to extend the term of the current chief rabbis until the election, an additional four months. During the four months, the coalition will work to pass the bill to permit the chief rabbis to serve a second 10-year term, the so-called “Amar Bill”.
Bayit Yehudi decided to work with Shas after party members realized there are many Shas loyalists among those who vote for the new chief rabbis. The dati leumi party realized it would be most difficult to get a dati leumi rav without Shas backing. The way things appear at present, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yonah Yechiel Metzger will not seek a second term.
Yesh Atid and The Movement have already announced they will support Tzohar Rabbonim leader Rabbi David Stav for the post. Bayit Yehudi is in a bit of a quandary since leading dati leumi rabbonim announced their candidate is Rabbi Eliezer Igra, a dayan serving on the Chief Rabbinate Supreme Court. Bennett and other party officials appear more aligned with Stav and a decision on who to back will be among the decisions that must be made in the coming weeks.
If this is correct that Bennett is aligned with Stav he once again showed his true face of being far from authentic Yiddishkeit.
about time,
You should be carefull how you speak about a religious party, elected by religious jews, and most importantly headed by sephardic gedolim.
Take it easy with your adjectives. Corrupt, nepotic, care less about halacha, albatross …. Who are we talking about Shas or Meretz?
I guess yamim noraim/toving have ended, and business is as usual for you. Go to back to GO and do not collect 200$.