Head of the Shas party Eli Yishai told Israel Radio Thursday morning
that he doesn’t think that former party leader Arye Deri will establish a
new party.
“It’s had for me to believe that will form a new
party,” Yishai said. “He always said he’d never go against the wishes of
Rabbi Ovadiah [Yosef, Shas’ spiritual leader]. He loves and respects
Rabbi Ovadiah, and I just don’t think he would do this.”
Yishai
seemed to be indicating that it is the wishes of the rabbi, who is
effectively the Shas movement’s ultimate decision maker, that Yishai
will take Shas into the coming elections as party leader.
However,
asked why Rabbi Yosef does not simply make a public statement on the
matter, Yishai said elusively that the only issue the rabbi would
comment on was to say “vote for Shas.”
During the interview,
Yishai also accused Yair Lapid of trying to deceive the public into
believing that he doesn’t hate the ultra-Orthodox.
“He’s
behaving very nicely, as if he’s Little Red Riding Hood,” Yishai
suggested. “But it’s incumbent on Shas voters and anyone who cares about
Jewish values that he doesn’t succeed with his media spin.”