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Last update - 01:26 03/10/2008
Deri: Court punishing my supporters by barring me from Jerusalem vote
By Yair Ettinger and Ofra Edelman, Haaretz Correspondents and The Associated Press
Tags: Shas, Jerusalem, Aryeh Deri 

Former Shas leader Aryeh Deri said Thursday that a court ruling baring him from running for mayor of Jerusalem was an attack on residents of the capital who backed him.

"I am very surprised by the decision," Deri responded Thursday. "A large public in Jerusalem who wanted to vote for me and thought I was the best candidate is being punished."

The Jerusalem District Court ruled that Deri cannot run for mayor due to his conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude.
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Deri, who retired from politics after being convicted of taking bribes in 2000, had said last month that he would enter the race if there were no legal barrier to doing so. He was widely considered a serious threat to the other candidates' chances.

Deri said he will study the ruling with his lawyer and consult with his ultra-Orthodox party's rabbis before deciding on his next move.

He is expected to meet today with Shas' spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, with whom he has already discussed the ruling by telephone, and then with Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, one of the spiritual leaders of the United Torah Judaism party. Both rabbis had previously given him their blessing in the race.

Deri has said in the past that he would not petition the High Court of Justice against the decision.

The former Shas chairman yesterday refrained from saying whether he would support the candidacy of Meir Porush, who was the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community's chosen candidate before Deri announced his interest in entering the race.

"I am a Haredi, who abides by the laws of the Torah," Deri said. "All my life, I was taught to listen to the Torah sages, and that is also how I educated an entire generation. I will listen to whatever the rabbis tell me regarding whether to support anyone, and whom."

He added that he make a final decision on whether to appeal the court's ruling soon. "I understand there's a timetable," he said. "I don't want to keep anyone waiting. I will not stay in the race until the last moment."

Under current law, an offense involving moral turpitude bars a convict from running for public office for seven years after his release from jail. For Deri, this period would end only in 2009, while the elections will take place on November 11 this year.

But Deri argued that he should be allowed to run for mayor because at the time of his conviction, released convicts had to wait only six years before being allowed to run for office, and by that standard, he was eligible to run.

Prosecutors, however, argued the purpose of law was to form an "obstacle for whoever was inappropriate for service in public office, in order to preserve the purity of public officials and of public service, and the trust of the public in them."


Related articles:
  • Deri to quit Jerusalem mayoral race if court rejects appeal
  • Jerusalem is already divided, says former Shas leader Deri
  • Former Shas strongman Deri mulls bid for mayor of Jerusalem
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      1.   what about barghouti? 17:59  |  Barry 02/10/08
      2.   Sunuvagun... maybe there is hope for democracy? 19:23  |  Joe Sittizen 02/10/08
      3.   High time for proscription of vice in Israeli politics 19:36  |  Physicist 02/10/08
      4.   Thank G-d! 21:15  |  Yaakov K. 02/10/08
      5.   HOW DARE THEY? 21:20  |  Arie 02/10/08
      6.   I DEMAND SPECIAL CONSIDERATION, he pouted! 21:44  |  SZ 02/10/08
      7.   democracy at risk 22:59  |  j10 02/10/08
      8.   Deri: Court punishing my supporters 00:38  |  Al 03/10/08
      9.   Attention ! Flooding in Jerusalem... 00:41  |  Alon 03/10/08
      10.   Actually the court is enforcing the law 01:13  |  Gee 03/10/08
      11.   reasonble 01:21  |  potobac 03/10/08
      12.   Yes, we discriminate against crimiminals 01:57  |  Ired 03/10/08
      13.   Deri leaves out a major point 02:29  |  Arie 03/10/08
      14.   Deri and who`s punishing voters 02:57  |  Yair 03/10/08
      15.   Separation of Church and State 03:12  |  Bronxite10 03/10/08
      16.   No soul left thanks to the Torah Sages? 03:25  |  Brian V Hunt 03/10/08
      17.   ALL NONSENCE 06:16  |  Max Djemal 03/10/08
      18.   Court is protecting citizens of Jerusalem! 07:38  |  Harry 03/10/08
      19.   Deri the Torah has no excuse for your behaviour 10:06  |  x-ray 03/10/08
      20.   Djernal 10:09  |  x-ray 03/10/08
      21.   Deri 11:52  |  Pablo Podgaezky 03/10/08
      22.   Deri 17:19  |  sara 03/10/08
      23.   r u dairy? no i`m parve 01:26  |  nach 05/10/08
      24.   nice try it was you not your voters who broke the law, your fault 01:53  |  ralph 06/10/08
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