Jerusalem – A spokesman for Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party says it has reinstated Arieh Deri as party leader.
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Deri last held the post in 1999, the year he was convicted of accepting bribes and went to prison.
Shas’ spokesman Yakov Betzalel said Friday that the party’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, made the decision to reinstate Deri on Thursday night.
Deri is the only major ultra-Orthodox leader seen as a moderate on the issue of Palestinians. Shas currently sits in the opposition but has often been a kingmaker in Israeli coalition politics.
Deri transformed Shas from a small, niche party into a major player before he was sent to prison for two years.
After serving his sentence, Deri spent more than a decade away from politics before returning to Shas last year.
Weren’t we expecting that!
See you in Oslo Rav Aryeh!!
This speaks volumes for the current state of Haredi Jewry . . .
Aryeh Deri, who was recently released from prison on corruption charges, is named as the Party’s head.
Its clear that Rabbi Yosef could care less about the personal ethics of the person who will be his political rep and all that is important is absolute loyalty to the Shas party line. He should move to Albany or Chicago since his brand of party politics is exactly what is curretly in vogue.
I wonder what this “consolation prize” is…Is it a set of Yalkut Yosef autographed by Chacham Ovadia Yosef, or is just some Ginzu knives?
I do not get it, though i guess I really should. Is that the best that Shas can do, a convicted realeased prisoner as shas head?
What are they thinking. With all the issues facing the religous people…this is the person, the face…Shas wants at the table to represent them. I never understood how they let him back in so easy….as it is a real spit in the face and does not instill any kovod shemayim for the religous side. MAybe someone can explain to me the dass torah..as a simple mind, from a simple religous jew certainly does not get it. And itr keeps getting worse.
I’m sure all u tzaddikim never did anything wrong financially.
Believe me, if the government, US or Israeli, were to come after you like they did Deri, LOOKING to find something on you, they’d find something. And you’d sit in jail too.
There’s always something to find on a person.
Including me. I’m an honest person, but I would not want the gov’t down my back. No way!
So stop judging Aryeh Deri.
He’s a good person who has done great things.
He took his punishment and paid the price required by law. He is older and hopefully wiser than he was when he was convicted. He was quite young for the position he held back then. Too much, too soon and it went to his head
Deri was framed. Israel was afraid of a Sephardi PM and Deri could have been.
what an embaressment
I`m relieved that shas isnt part of the government
Deri’s conviction has never been corroborated by outside authorities. If you trust the Israeli Supreme Court, fine, please be embarrassed by Aryeh Deri being chosen to lead Shas.
For millions of Israelis, however, this conviction means court corruption. Shas actually gained votes when Deri was prosecuted. Very many people believe that it was a setup from beginning to end.
So I will be embarrassed of our morally bankrupt courts, you can be embarrassed about Deri taking lead of Shas.
Lets all be embarrassed of something.