In a rare initiative within the Haredi community, the spiritual leader of Shas on Sunday tried to persuade a leading United Torah Judaism (UTJ) rabbi from allowing his party to join the opposition.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of Shas asked Ger Rabbi Ya'acov Aryeh Alter, who holds considerable sway within UTJ, to reverse his party's decision, saying it may hurt the Jewish religious community.

In the past the relationship between Shas - which represents the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox community - and UTJ - which represents the Ashknenazi ultra-Orthodox community - is often fraught with rivalry.

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Last week, UTJ officially rejected an offer by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to join the government coalition after over a year of on-going negotiations. As a result, UTJ MK Ya'akov Litzman is expected to lose the chairmanship of the influential Knesset Finance Committee in a vote held on Tuesday.

Fearing a split between the Haredi parties may hurt the the Jewish religious community in Israel at large, Yosef sent Minister Eli Yishai of Shas to visit Alter with a letter in which he praised Litzman's chairmanship of the committee.

Despite the meeting, ultra-Orthodox sources still estimate the chances UTJ will reverse its decision are slim.