There is concern and perhaps even anger, as the word on the street is that a deal has been made between Shas and Degel Hatorah, by which the head of Rechasim will be from both parties, agreeing to a rotation arrangement.

Due to their concerns, rabbonim from the northern community of Rechasim sent a letter to the Shas party leader, asking to meet with him to permit them to express their concerns as well as hearing about the reported agreement directly from Deri. The rabbonim would like to be involved in determining who the Sephardi candidate will be. According to a BeChadrei Chareidim report, Deri has not responded to the letter from the rabbonim.

This week MK Uri Maklev visited Rechasim, stating there was an agreement and should be respected. He added, “I think that political interests should be transcended when there is satisfaction. Agreements for the mayor should be for ten years, not five years.”

Sources in Shas are quoted agreeing with Maklev, adding, “Five years ago, we claimed that Cohen was a successful council head and we demanded that the agreement be changed to 10 years instead of five, but Gafne categorically refused to do so.”

In the meantime, the head of the Rechasim Council, the mayor, Yitzchak Reich, told BeChadrei, “The rabbonim of Rechasim have yet to receive the name of the Shas candidate. If Shas decides to ignore the agreement and to announce a candidate without approval, then they violated the agreement and we are released and may run and act in our own way”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)