Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s statement excoriating Aryeh Deri was caught on tape and released last week. It has inflamed Shas, as former party member Eli Yishai, who left to start his own party, gains sympathy among his haredi constituents.
Plot twists in the rivalry between Eli Yishai and Aryeh Deri: Who is the true successor of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef? On the tape, made six years ago and released on Sunday, the deceased spiritual leader of Shas is caught slamming Deri and explaining why he will never betray Yishai. (When Deri offered to resign his position as Shas party leader on Monday, the rabbis and the party rejected his offer, according to the Jerusalem Post. R’ Ovadia Yosef’s family, including his son, the Sephardic chief rabbi, went to R’ Yosef’s kever to beg forgiveness for the scandal.)
At the end of 2008 Eli Yishai was the chairman of Shas and Deri was about to return to the Orthodox party he left after he was convicted in a corruption scandal and served two years in prison. In a conversation with family members, held six years ago, R’ Ovadia Yosef explained why he would not let Deri return: “Why shall we take a thief? Why shall we take a corrupted politician?” asked the rabbi. “30-40% of our voters will never stick with us in this condition,” he added.
“No one has anything against Yishai,” said R’ Yosef in attempt to show his trust with the functioning chairman of the party. R’ Yosef was also caught saying that he won’t block Deri’s way if the latter would consider establishing independent party: “What do I care? He can do whatever he wants, he is independent. He will gain nothing out of it, even 5,000 (voters) he would not attract, and even if he passes the threshold, so be it, I cannot betray Eli Yishai.”
Since the recall, Deri has received the keys the party leadership while Eli Yishai ended up as his deputy. From that point on, a publicized rivalry developed between the two. Three weeks ago Yishai announced he was resigning from Shas and establish an independent party.
Aryeh Deri, current chairman of the party, said in response to the controversial tape that “The public is looking nowadays for unity, how can one man who considers himself loyal publish this kind of tape… revealing our rabbi as a subversive?”
Deri added he believes this shows how Yishai can simply disgrace R’ Yosef’s honored life for earning some points in a political game: “This proves that Eli Yishai betrayed Yosef.” As JLNJ went to press, Deri resigned from the Knesset.
By Shay Belalo/www.jerusalemonline.com
