Not too long ago it appeared quite likely that Rabbi Shlomo Amar Shlita would be elected to a second term as Rishon L’Tzion and Rabbi Yaakov Ariel Shlita was the likely candidate to become the next Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel.

As the Knesset did not vote on the Amar Bill on Wednesday, 4 Tammuz 5773, the bill will not have become law before the official beginning of the election for chief rabbis this Sunday, 8 Tammuz. As such, it now appears Rav Amar is out of the race, a move that will boost Tzfas Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu to the top of the list to become the next Rishon L’Tzion.

The bill to permit Rav Ariel to run despite being over 70 also fell to the wayside, giving a major boost to the campaign of Rabbi David Stav, who would like to become the next Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. Rav Stav currently enjoys the support of the Labor, Yesh Atid, The Movement and Bayit Yehudi parties. In addition, after Bayit Yehudi appoints ten women to the voting body of 150, most believe these women will support Rav Stav as well.

While Shas allegedly supported the Amar Bill, in actuality, party leader Aryeh Deri was not a major fan of Rav Amar’s reelection. The short version is that once Rav Ovadia expressed his opposition to Rav Stav’s candidacy, Deri stated the entire deal is no longer relevant for Shas. More than this, defeating the deal was imperative towards pushing Rav Ovadia’s position, the Gadol Hador’s stern opposition to Rav Stav. Hence, the Amar Bill was sacrificed to deliver a blow to Rav Stav’s candidacy. In actuality, there is more to do with the Shas inner power struggle than with opposing Rav Stav.

Yediot Achronot reports that the Shas representative to the Knesset Interior Committee received a direct order from Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita to make sure the bill does not pass due to the Gadol Hador’s fierce opposition to Rav Stav’s candidacy.

Rav Amar announced months ago that he prefers to step down but agreed to the bill after Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita signaled he wishes to see the Rishon L’Tzion serve another term. Today it appears the Rishon L’Tzion gets to go home and write seforim as he stated he wishes to do.

Much media coverage has been dedicated to the ever changing scene regarding this election, which has been far from boring. Bayit Yehudi will most likely support Rav Eliyahu in his bid to become chief rabbi, but Rav Eliyahu does face significant opposition, possibly even petitions to the High Court of Justice to block his candidacy. The rav’s political leanings, a hawk, and his statements against selling and renting in Tzfas to Arabs, have put him on the outs for many. One example is when Magen David Adom appointment Rabbi Eliyahu to head its rabbinical advisory board last year. There were outcries against the appointment citing the issues mentioned above. Opponents questioned how a racist can serve as a rabbinical advisor of an emergency medical service that comes to the assistance of all regardless of one’s ethnicity. The opponents added there are Arab volunteers in MDA well.

MDA defended its position by explaining the rabbi is acting in an advisory capacity and he is not one who sets MDA policy. Nevertheless, it is clear that if the rabbi’s candidacy appears to be gaining momentum, there will be opposition.

Shas has yet to announce its candidate, perhaps HaGaon HaRav Avraham Yosef, who is a son to Chacham Ovadia and serves as chief rabbi of Holon, or possibly Beersheva Chief Rabbi Yehuda Deri, who also happens to be a brother of the party’s leader.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)