Deri Gets the Green Light from Rav Ovadia Shlita in Mayoral Race

According to reports, former Shas Party leader Rav Aryeh Deri has received the ‘green light’ from Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita to run in the Yerushalayim mayoral race. It is now likely that Deri will turn to President Shimon Peres to remove the ‘moral turpitude’ stain on his record which prohibits him from holding public office. The stain is the result of a conviction and it is valid for a seven-year period.

Deri has been in contact with Rav Ovadia and apparently was told if he decides to enter the mayoral race, he will receive Shas’ support. As the Deri campaign begins to actualize, the ‘chareidi candidate,’ Rav Meir Porush, also visited Rav Ovadia Shlita on Tuesday night, also seeking Shas’ endorsement in the race. Porush is well aware that if there are two chareidi candidates, Ashkenazi and Sephardi, the split in the votes could result in a victory for a secular candidate.

Shas’ Council of Torah Sages is expected to convene to render a decision as to which of the candidates the party will support in the Jerusalem mayoral race.