Amar Headquarters: "The entire Jewish Home, including Rabbi Ben Dahan, is mobilized to support Rishon LeZion""

October 18, 2014   

It was on the evening of Simchat Torah when the sensational news arrived at the headquarters of the Chief Rabbi of Safed, Rabbi Amar: Tomorrow, Friday, Rabbi Eliyahu of Safed is expected to arrive at the home of Rabbi Steinman to receive a blessing. In a meeting held at the headquarters that same night, which was also attended by MK Yaakov Margi of Shas, the possibility that Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu would win the race was also discussed 'openly' on the table. The decision was not to withdraw his candidacy, even if there was a chance that Rabbi Eliyahu would indeed win. Rabbi Amar's headquarters confirmed the meeting, but continued to broadcast business as usual, and pledged that they would win the race for the Sephardic Chief Rabbinate. According to them, no concerns were expressed. "On the contrary, we are satisfied with the Lithuanians' support for Rabbi Eliyahu. It paints him as ultra-Orthodox and causes secular voters not to cast a protest vote, as they planned to vote for such and such candidates." According to Rabbi Amar's people, "All members of the Jewish Home, including Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Dahan, are being mobilized to support Prime Minister Rabbi Amar, and all the talk about elements of the Jewish Home supposedly supporting Rabbi Eliyahu is spin.". What did Barkat say? From an analysis of the composition of the electorate, it is difficult to know which of the two candidates has the best chance. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has no preference for the 'Amar-Stern deal' over the 'Eliyahu-Lao deal'. For him, what is important is that by the end of election day, a National Religious Rabbi and an Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi will serve in the capital city. The composition of the slots does not matter. An attempt to spread spin according to which, at an event held in Nof Zion, Barkat said that "next week, Rabbi Amar and Rabbi Stern will be appointed as chief rabbis for Jerusalem" - was vigorously denied by Barkat's people. They claimed that the mayor did not mention the names of rabbis in his remarks, but only emphasized that a Religious Zionist Rabbi would be elected alongside an Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi on Tuesday. In the meantime, other contenders for the Sephardic Chief Rabbinate are also trying to gain support. Shas has not yet decided who to support. On the one hand, the inclination of the heart is to prefer the Grand Rabbi Amar. On the other hand, it is difficult not to consider the voices opposing his election (not necessarily from the movement's chairman, MK Aryeh Deri). The Grand Rabbi Yosef is prevented by virtue of his position from intervening, and at home they insist that no candidate received his support. The visit of his brother-in-law, the Grand Rabbi Toledano, to his home on the eve of the holiday does not constitute, they say, any evidence of support and amounts to a mere 'holiday visit' for them. As for the 'peace' between him and his father-in-law, Rabbi Amar, the meeting took place after pressure was exerted by a Chabad follower, one of the associates of billionaire Michael (Miko) Mirilshvili - who is considered one of the biggest supporters of Shas's education networks, and whose request is difficult to ignore. At the same time, it is clear to everyone that this is not a true peace and that the negative and emotional emotions between the two rabbis are not easy to crack and ripen into a warm peace.  Rabbi Deri's Chance The race for the Jerusalem rabbinate also came up in a conversation that the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, had during a holiday visit to the home of the president of the Council of Torah Sages, Hacham Shalom Cohen, which took place on the morning of the much-publicized peace meeting with Rabbi Amar. The Rabbi updated him on the upcoming meeting, but in between, the conversation turned to the race for the rabbinate, a topic that Rabbi Yitzhak is prevented from interfering in as Chief Rabbi. According to one of those present, Hacham Shalom asked Rabbi Yitzhak why, in fact, Shas does not support Rabbi Yehuda Deri. One of those present at the meeting explained that the structure of the voting body is such that it will not allow the election of a Sephardic Haredi rabbi, and therefore the decision must be manipulated according to the chances on the ground and in practice. This is also the reason, incidentally, that there is no chance of supporting Rabbi Toledano. At the same time, those around Rabbi Deri do not outright rule out the possibility of his election, and it exists if Rabbi Amar decides to withdraw his candidacy. Some insist on claiming that if Rabbi Amar realizes that there is no 100 percent chance of him winning, he will withdraw his candidacy. His headquarters, as mentioned, insist that this will never happen.