Shas Election Event in Acre Funded by City, Violating Law
An event held in Acre, ostensibly for pre-Yom Kippur prayers, was revealed to be a Shas party election rally funded in part by the Acre Municipality. The municipality provided sponsorship, allowed the use of the municipal stadium, and sold tickets for the event, which featured rabbis, singers, and liturgical poets.
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef flew by helicopter from Jerusalem to Acre. Both delivered political speeches to the attendees. Rabbi Yosef also stated that according to Halakha, it is forbidden to vote for Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party, endorsing only Shas, all while using public funds.
This incident follows a previous report two weeks ago about a professional conference organized by the Jerusalem Religious Council that Shas allegedly used for election promotion. The Acre event occurred after the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, prohibited a memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in Jerusalem shortly before elections, citing concerns of political exploitation by Shas.
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