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Commentary;
Below are three real short reports, which speak volumes. Will Shas ever see a silver shekel of NIS 475m? Or will their just reward be that it bounces as high as the funds which Gimmel never got for being in the Expulsion coalition? Do they perceive themselves as on a power trip? Does nepotism trump defense of Jerusalem? MB
Knesset [Committee] Approves Transfer of NIS 475m. to Shas’s Torah Institutions
Full Text;
“The Knesset Finance Committee on Wednesday approved the transfer of NIS 475 million to Shas’s Torah institutions.
The transfer was part of coalition agreement between Shas and Kadima. ”
‘Shas Staying So Rabbi Yosef’s Son Can Get J’lem Job’
Excerpt;
One of the main reasons for Shas’s decision to remain in Ehud Olmert’s government, according to Haaretz, is Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s wish to see his son, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, appointed as Jerusalem’s Head Rabbi. According to the newspaper, Rabbi Ovadia, who is Shas’s spiritual mentor, wants Minister of Religious Services Yitzchak Cohen to arrange for Rabbi Yitzchak to become the Holy City’s Sephardic rabbi.
Is Shas Taking Over the Country?
Full Text;
The political correspondent for Israel’s most popular news website told his readers Friday that the Sephardic hareidi-religious party Shas seems to be taking over the country. The correspondent, whose name is Attila Somfalvi, was referring especially to the law for internet filtering which was proposed by MK Amnon Cohen.
Additional recent political moves ascribed to Shas include NIS 450 million transferred to yeshivas, a discussion of a law limiting abortion after the 22nd week of pregnancy, and an attempt to widen the authority of the rabbinical courts.