Order at Shas: Eli Yishai Number 1, Aryeh Deri Chairman of the Movement

Six weeks have passed since the Secretary of the Council of Sages of the Shas party, Rabbi Raphael Pinchasi announced the triangular leadership of the party - Eli Yishai, Aryeh Deri, Ariel Atias - and now finally there has been a division of roles and honors: Eli Yishai wins first place on the party list for the Knesset, while Aryeh Deri will receive the role of Chairman of the movement.

Technical details are still open: who will let out the message to the media – Will Rabbi Shalom Cohen do it today during a planned conference, or shall the Secretary of the Council of Torah Sages notify at the last minute, before the filing of the list on Thursday.

What led to the dramatic step?

If initially there were those who thought that the triangular leadership will entrap the area and will increase the number of mandates and support the movement, it soon became clear that the damage exceeds the benefit. Before each meeting the question of who will sit where came up again, how and why, who will speak, what would be the order of the names in the registration and in what way. It was enough that the journalists pushed their nose to see what happens in the cauldron. With a little help from some practitioners who volunteered - and dirty laundry came out all the time.

Week after week surveys went knocking around ten seats or up to fourteen at best, but this is not the result the vertices of the movement expected, who speak firmly about 17 mandates in real terms, and believe it with all their hearts.

What inhibits the long-awaited leap, which was predicted following the restoration of the winning procurement, Aryeh Deri? The best minds were analyzed, including interest-free strategists, professionals in every respect; the conclusion reached was a simple one: you cannot continue in this way.

The subject of the titles also disturbed

With all due respect to the idea of unity, the Shas core got accepted it with a good and simple conscience: This is what the Rabbi wanted, but Shas seeks after those who are not only students of Maran, to white yarmulke wearers, knitted yarmulkes and to the secular community seeking a social party. These people are not fed the Haredi media, who are showing alignment, but the secular media broadcasting on the screens and throughout its pages especially the conflicts, intrigues and misunderstandings. The media is looking for action, and when you look for it can always be found. We can always find a mad activist from some city which will bring a juicy story, one that will add fuel to the fire.

All this caused great sadness to anyone who cares about the Shas movement. Attempt to block the leaks failed, and reluctantly the vertices settled to look for a solution. As a first step – they accepted the opinion of the professionals that say they must stimulate the area with 'more than roar', and motifs of a lion. This is what he is here for, this is why he returned. This is what was done at the conference in Haifa; this is what was decided to do at the conference dinner halls this evening in Beis Yisrael.

But in the background the titles subject still hobbled, each journalist had to break his keyboard trying to define the role of the three, I chose a 'third' of Shas chairman for each of them, others chose to bypass and use other attributes, the result: a real circus. In addition, no one knew who to listen to, and who is the boss, and you cannot successfully lead this way.

This is the place to go back, two days before unity announcement, when Hgr"o called Eli Yishai and asked him to convey the role of Chairman to Aryeh Deri. Meaning, handing the keys over to the man who's place was promised will be kept for him. Yishai could not accept the decree. In personal conversations I had with him then he told me again and again that he does not pursuit the honor or degree that has led him to insist, but his naive belief that he could lead the movement best. I believed him. In his eyes, he is the man who is completely loyal to his mentor and teacher; he is the one who throughout all the years that he held the steering wheel asked the Rabbi on every issue, large or small, who knows if this is how it will continue in the future.

I asked him sincerely, Eli, why do you not notify, in your own voice, that there is no point in continuing the circus, that you realize it does not look and sound good in the media, and you pass on by your own will the role of Chairman to Aryeh. He sighed, and answered truthfully that he does not think that is the right thing to do, and not for reasons of prestige.

This belief has accompanied him all the time, even now, when he realizes that a decision must be made, that things can't continue this way. He will not take part in something he does not believe in, let others do it.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!