Exemption from conscription in exchange for support: the emerging agreement between Deri and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef

Shas movement chairman Aryeh Deri arrived this morning, Thursday, at the home of Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, in a move that may end the long-standing tension at the top of the Sephardic leadership.

According to sources familiar with the details, a closed agreement has been formulated between Deri and Rabbi Yosef that regulates the party's future path. As part of the understandings, it was determined that in the next government, a conscription exemption law will be promoted and passed, and it was also promised that Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and the Council of Torah Sages will be full partners in the movement's political decision-making. In addition, it appears that on all political issues, the elder of the Council, Rabbi Maya, will decide.

On halachic issues, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef will decide.

Mandate crisis and the launch of the election campaign

The background to this dramatic meeting and the reconciliation efforts is the launch of the Shas party's election campaign, scheduled for today. Deri understands well that without the public support of Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, his chances of rising in the latest polls, which predict only six to seven mandates for the party, are nil, and therefore he has invested many efforts in the recent period to reach agreements.

Attempts to enlist the Rabbi's support come at an especially challenging time for the movement. Among the Sephardic public, criticism is growing regarding the party's conduct surrounding the issue of the conscription law and the arrests of yeshiva students, essential topics that have remained without a real solution until now. At the same time, claims have recently increased against the party chairman regarding his attitude toward the spiritual leadership and the members of the Council of Torah Sages.

The fruit incident in Austria and the denials of a spin

The current rapprochement comes after the open tension between the parties reached a significant friction point just last week. While Deri and Rabbi Yosef were staying in different cities in Austria for a vacation, the Shas chairman sent a fruit platter on Friday to the Rishon LeZion and made sure to publish a picture of the gesture publicly. In the Rabbi's circle, they saw this step as part of the same political pressure campaign, and according to his associates, the Rabbi refused to accept the delivery and asked to return it to Deri.

Now, it seems that the efforts have borne fruit and the parties have managed to bridge the gaps. In the context of political struggles from within and without, Rabbi Yosef's associates ask to emphasize that their message is clear and that the Rabbi never gave support to a left-wing government. According to them, any attempt to link the Rabbi to such a political position is nothing but a media spin intended to serve internal political needs.