Shas Political Rift: Rabbi Yosef Urges Against Party Vote

A report published Wednesday in Haaretz has sent shockwaves through Shas and Israel's right-wing political camp. According to journalist Aharon Rabinovich, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel and a member of Shas's Council of Torah Sages, has been telling his students and close associates not to vote for Shas in upcoming elections and believes haredi parties should work toward toppling the right-wing coalition.

The report, based on conversations with Rabbi Yosef's students and sources within Shas, includes particularly striking comments about Religious Zionism. One student quoted the rabbi as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Religious Zionist movement do not genuinely care for the haredi community, while the left-wing, in his view, respects religion and is primarily interested in governing—making it a more viable partner for negotiation.

According to the Haaretz account, Rabbi Yosef believes that after the failure to pass legislation providing a solution for yeshiva students regarding military service, haredim no longer benefit from their automatic alliance with the right. A Shas source told the newspaper that a non-right-wing government might actually make it easier to reach understandings on the conscription issue.

Associates of Rabbi Yosef have also criticized what they see as the growing influence of rabbis aligned with the Lithuanian haredi approach within Shas's spiritual leadership, particularly Rabbi Avraham Salim. According to sources quoted in the article, Rabbi Yosef and his followers view this as a departure from Shas's original Sephardic path and from the legacy of his father, the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who founded the movement.

The rift has spilled into public view. At recent Shas events, harsh calls have been heard against Deri, and according to Haaretz, students of Rabbi Yosef claim the protests against the party chairman took place with the rabbi's knowledge and consent.

The current report follows earlier public statements by Rabbi Yosef regarding political alignments. Last month he addressed both Netanyahu and opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot publicly, and it was subsequently reported on Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) that the rabbi spoke favorably about the possibility of supporting Eisenkot for prime minister and expressed hope that United Torah Judaism would join such a move.

If the statements published Wednesday accurately reflect his position, this represents a confrontation that goes far beyond personal tensions between Rabbi Yosef and Deri. It would constitute a challenge to the longstanding political alliance between Shas and the right wing, and particularly to relations with the Religious Zionist community, whom, according to the published testimony, Rabbi Yosef grouped together with Netanyahu among those who "hate us."

A spokesperson for Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef issued a categorical denial to Haaretz, stating: "This never happened and was never created." The statement further claimed that elements within the household are spreading false statements in his name with the aim of creating division.

Shas also rejected the report and protested what it called an affront to the rabbi's honor. The party stated that Rabbi Yosef has repeatedly expressed clear support for Shas and emphasized that the movement remains committed to the right-wing bloc and will work against the formation of a left-wing government.