Shas’ solution to the party’s leadership crisis, the forum of three, has earned an envious spot in the weekly chareidi newspapers and magazines in Eretz Yisrael. Shas’ own Yom L’Yom does not play modest, allocating significant real estate to tell the story and share the success, including the array of rabbonim whose photo appears alongside their bracha on the success achieved by Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita. The paper actually explains in depth that the credit for saving the party goes to Maran’s youngest son, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Yosef, who heads the gadol hador’s Badatz Beit Yosef.

Rav Moshe’s efforts paid off big time in this case, at least for the time being, and the rabbonim who appear in the party-affiliated newspaper are not just Sephardim but prominent Ashkenazim including the Sanzer Rebbe Shlita, the Vishnitzer Rebbe Shlita and Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yonah Yechiel Metzger.

The Shas success begs the question if the Ashkenazim can achieve the same success, but with growing splits in the litvish and chassidic factions, such a reality appears unlikely at the present time.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)