Shas Party Rift Exposed: Rabbi Yosef Feared to Urge Boycott

A deep rift within the Shas party between spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and political chairman Aryeh Deri, which concluded about two weeks ago, has been further exposed. Revelations indicate that the reconciliation was driven by fears within Shas that Rabbi Yosef might instruct followers not to vote for the party in upcoming elections.

Deri reportedly visited Rabbi Yosef, presenting him with a letter from Rabbi Moshe Maya, the most senior member of the Council of Torah Sages. According to Deri, the letter urged Rabbi Yosef to follow in his father's footsteps and lead Shas. Following this meeting, Rabbi Yosef's household issued a statement and released documentation declaring him the leader of Shas.

However, audio recordings obtained by i24NEWS reveal the extent of the internal conflict and suggest the letter's purpose was misrepresented. Rabbi Moshe Maya, in a recent conversation with his students, detailed the true behind-the-scenes events. He denied writing the letter that led to Rabbi Yosef's appointment as party leader, stating that students of Rabbi Yosef drafted it. Maya claimed he edited the letter, removing phrases that implied Rabbi Yosef accepted the leadership role, to prevent the appearance of such an endorsement.

Rabbi Maya explained that the primary motivation behind the reconciliation was Shas's concern that Rabbi Yosef, the son of the party's founder Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, would instruct people not to vote for the party. Such a directive from his successor would be a significant blow to Shas. "His followers crowned him, they did it so he wouldn't say not to vote for Shas. That's the whole story," Rabbi Maya stated, summarizing the situation as "We are in trouble."

Despite the internal tensions, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef participated in a Shas election rally, delivering a message aimed at appeasing dissatisfied voters. He declared, "Even if there are complaints, Shas is a home, and you don't leave home." This statement is seen as crucial for Shas, which has faced criticism regarding the draft law for Haredim and Deri himself, in its effort to win back disillusioned voters.