Prominent Sephardic Rabbi Signs Letter Forbidding Votes for Shas Party
Prominent Sephardic Haredi Rabbi Moshe Tzadka signed a letter prohibiting votes for Shas over draft policies. Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri is urgently seeking a retraction.
Rabbi Moshe Tzadka, one of the most prominent leaders of the Sephardic Haredi community and head of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva, has signed a letter explicitly prohibiting votes for the Shas party. The decision stems from the party's perceived willingness to support the enlistment of yeshiva students who do not study full-time.
According to reports published by journalist Ari Kalman on i24NEWS, the letter was signed following intensive efforts led by Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, who is known to be close to Rabbi Tzadka.
In response to the development, Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri has launched urgent efforts to secure a retraction. Deri is reportedly pressuring Rabbi Moshe Maya and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef to visit Rabbi Tzadka's home to persuade him to withdraw his signature.
Rabbi Tzadka's public stance poses a significant political challenge for Shas as the party navigates delicate negotiations regarding military conscription and its traditional voter base within the ultra-Orthodox community.
