Last update - 00:00 07/06/2007
Shas sages council orders party's MKs to back Peres in presidential race
By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent
Shas' Council of Torah Sages instructed the 12 members of the ultra-Orthodox faction on Thursday to support the candidacy of Vice Premier Shimon Peres for the presidency.
The council announced that their support of Peres stems from "recognition of his good work for Judaism."
Regarding another candidate in the presidential race, Likud MK Reuven Rivlin, the council said "we appreciate him and wish for him to rise upwards and upwards."
Shas Chairman and Minister of Industry and Trade Eli Yishai said that the council was unanimous in its support for Peres.
In addition to Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the council includes Rabbis Shimon Ba'adani, Shalom Cohen and Moshe Maya. Rabbis Ba'adani and Maya did not attend the meeting, but announced their decision to the council by telephone.
For months now, Rabbi Yosef's house has been a pilgrimage site for presidential candidates and their aides. Although the decision by the Council of Torah Sages ends that chapter of the saga, the party's political leadership must now ensure that its MKs fulfill the council's instructions, and also work to convince other MKs to vote for Peres.
Now that it has openly endorsed Peres, a victory by Rivlin would stigmatize Shas as a political loser no less than it would Peres especially if this victory is achieved with the support of rogue party MKs.
In contrast, a Peres victory would help to mend the party's image. Following the last
presidential election, in which several Shas MKs voted for Moshe Katsav despite the party's public support for Peres, it was viewed as a backstabbing party that does not adhere to its political commitments. A victory for Peres would also contribute to the Shas's reputation as a kingmaker.
Shas MK Amnon Cohen has indicated in recent days that he would like to be allowed to vote his conscience, in which case he would vote for Rivlin. On Wednesday, he met with Rabbi Yosef to argue his case, which was that supporting one of the two candidates exclusively would be harmful to Shas.
However, Cohen said Thursday that "if the decision is that we are all going in one direction, we will all obey. As a movement, we must follow what the rabbis say, and personal interests must be left aside."