Is Shas playing both sides against the middle?
In this government, at least up to now, Shas has been behaving like a Right wing party. For example, it was Housing Minister Ariel Atias (pictured) who disclosed that there was a de facto building freeze in effect eight months before the freeze actually went into effect. And in the current discussion of extending the 'settlement freeze,' until now, Shas has said that its ministers would not vote for an extension. An extension is seemingly not in Shas' political interests. After all, many of its constituents live in two ultra-Orthodox towns along the 1949 armistice line: Kiryat Sefer and Beitar Ilit.But some of you may remember another Shas. A Shas that came cheaply to Ehud Olmert. A Shas that was behind a move three months ago to end the freeze - but only in the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) towns.
Which Shas currently sits in the government? Good question.
Shas said on Sunday that it would not oppose a 60-day extension of the building moratorium in the West Bank, Channel 10 news reported.In the old days, when Shas would waffle like this, people would say that it was because Shas' leader, Aryeh Deri, was a big believer in the 'peace process,' and because deep down Rabbi Yosef really believed in 'land for peace.' But Deri has not been the leader for some years now, and Rabbi Yosef has made his feelings about the 'Palestinians' quite clear.
...
At a closed meeting, Housing Minister Ariel Attias of Shas, a member of the Security Cabinet, reportedly announced that Shas would not vote against a renewed moratorium, on condition that the US promised that this would be the last freeze.
Other Shas sources told Channel 10 that the party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, approved the measure, because he did not want to be responsible for a breakdown in communications between Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama.
Until now, Netanyahu claimed not to have enough support for an additional freeze, and that Shas' ministers would make the difference in approving or rejecting a building moratorium.
At the same time, Interior Minister and Shas head Eli Yishai, released a statement saying "Rabbi Yosef clarifies that Shas will oppose any freeze, even for two months, and the rest of Shas' ministers have been instructed to behave as such."
So is the Channel 10 report a mistake?
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:31 PM
2 Comments:
I suspect it would depend on what Netanyahu would give Shas in exchange for supporting a revanant freeze extension.
But at this point it may not matter for the Palestinians reject anything but a permanent freeze that includes Jerusalem. And I wonder how that would sit with Shas' ultra-orthodox voter constituency.
In short, there may not be a middle for Shas to play both sides into this time around.
Look at the history of Shas: Pretty much wherever Labor goes, there they are. Like most of the political mafia, they are out to get whatever they can for their constituents and cronies - not necessarily in that order. The fact that the Shas brand is built on religion and ethnicity is simply that --- branding.
Just like those General Foods International Coffees with names like Suisse Mocha and Cafe Francais are merely instant coffee with a bit of flavoring, so is Shas merely the Labor party with a touch of ta'am Mizrahi --- Cafe Casablanca, as it were.
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