Shas Launches Nationwide Memorials for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef After Court Ban
Following court rejections of state funding for an official memorial for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the Shas party will finance dozens of nationwide commemorative events.
Following the rejection of its petition by the Central Election Committee and the Supreme Court to hold the official state-funded memorial event for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the Shas party has announced a series of nationwide localized memorial events funded entirely by the party.
Cancelled State Event and Legal Battle
The central event was originally scheduled to take place at the International Convention Center (Binyanei HaUma) in Jerusalem, in accordance with the law commemorating Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, which mandates an official state-funded memorial. However, the Attorney General ruled that the Ministry of Religious Services could not finance the event, citing concerns that it could be exploited for election campaign purposes ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections set for October 27, 2026.
"We will ensure that the legacy of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef reaches every corner of the country, despite the obstacles," stated party representatives.
Nationwide Alternative Events
Shas and the Ministry of Religious Services argued that the decision contradicted statutory obligations. Despite proposals to reschedule the event further from the election date and assurances that no politicians or political messaging would be involved, the courts upheld the restriction. In response, Shas pivoted to decentralized local gatherings across dozens of municipalities from Beersheba to Safed.
Party officials project that these community-level gatherings will ultimately draw tens of thousands of participants, surpassing the expected attendance of the single central event. The upcoming weeks will feature Torah lessons, historical accounts of the rabbi's life, and screenings of his prominent sermons.
