BICOM

Shas rivals Aryeh Deri and Eli Yishai met yesterday in order to reduce tensions in the party following the death of its figurehead Rabbi Ovadia Yosef earlier this month.

The party has been plagued by infighting during the last year, following the return to prominence of former leader Deri who spent time out of politics following a prison sentence. Yishai had led the party in Deri’s absence, holding ministerial positions, but appears to have been sidelined since Deri’s return. Tensions between Deri and Yishai were highlighted following Rabbi Yosef’s death with Yishai apparently told not to attend a memorial service.

On Saturday night, Deri publicly criticised Yishai on Channel Two’s “Meet the Press,” placing responsibility on Yishai for the party’s poor showing in last week’s municipal elections. Deri said, “I turned to Eli Yishai and he decided he didn’t want to help,” citing his refusal to publicly back candidates in Jerusalem and Elad.

The two leaders met for thirty minutes at the Knesset yesterday and emerged for a public handshake. Yishai said, “It was a good meeting… We agreed to meet in the future, and we will do everything in order to work together and maintain the movement.”

Shas has also been in the spotlight in Beit Shemesh, where independent mayoral candidate Eli Cohen looks set to challenge the victory of incumbent Shas Mayor Moshe Abutbul who won last week’s election by just 950 votes. Thousands took to the city’s streets to demand a new poll and Cohen is likely to appeal following allegations of a number of voting irregularities. There has been extreme tension recently between Beit Shemesh’s ultra-Orthodox community and other residents over the future of the city.