In past years, when attending the yahrzeit of the Babi Sali ZT”L ZY”A Rabbi Chaim Amsellem was received as an honored guest by the rabbonim of the Abuchatzera family. According to a Channel 1 News report, this year the story was quite a different one.
The fourth of Shevat is the yahrzeit of the tzaddik and thousands began making their way to the tziyun in Netivot on Tuesday night, including Rav Amsellem, who heads the Am Shalem Party seeking a place in the next Knesset.
The report states that Amsellem quickly understood he is unwelcome, banished from the event as he is viewed persona non grata for running against Shas in the elections. Amsallem was reportedly told that he should be embarrassed for compromising the kovod of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita. Shas officials earlier in the week blame Amsellem’s actions as being among the contributory factors to the stroke suffered by R’ Ovadia.
An eyewitness account states police acted swiftly to escort him out, realizing the hostility directed against R’ Amsellem.
When asked about the incident, Rav Amsellem reported he was received warmly and many came over to speak with him and shake his hand.
The news video shows many among those present carrying Shas signs reading “We are returning home to Shas”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Kamza, Bar Kamza?
#1: Please study the sugya in Gitten and explain how this situation compares to that one.
Politics and elections smell like ‘dead fish’. SHAS is frightened with the prediction on low MKs for Knesset. Their numbers are going down, down,,,the question might be WHY?
Could be a Deri connection? could be those who are returning to LIKUD or UTJ? could be competition of Bayit Yehudi and Amnon Yitzchak? and could be those who are supporters of Amsallem? yet the truth is the hayday of Shas is over..
“Shas officials earlier in the week blamed Amsellem’s actions as being among the contributory factors to the stroke suffered by Ovadia.”
Whoever at Shaas is making such naresh statments needs to get a handle on reality. People don’t get strokes because someone is running for election under a new political party affiliation. While Amsellem doesn’t have the stature of Rav Yosef among most Sephardic Isreaelis, he is still a formidable politician. If political diaglogue is going to give you a stroke, you probably shouldn’t be involved in the political process.