Leader of the pack? Deri
Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg
Deri: I'm the one running Shas
Former party chair and current deputy says he's Shas' de facto 'chairman of the board'
Is Shas' leadership on verge of collapse? Former Shas chairman and current party deputy chair Aryeh Deri said Sunday that he is still running the party and referred to himself as its "chairman of the board."
Shas' spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yoseph decreed that the party would be run by a joint leadership consisting of Deri, Eli Yishai and Ariel Atias.
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He further decreed that Yishai, who is the current party chairman, will remain at the helm.
"I'm used to being the No. 2 man and that's okay," Deri told Channel 1. "I've been away from politics for 12 years. I've already been a minister and a member of cabinet. I was there when Shas was created and all the people at the top were once my assistants.
"I came home for a reason and I have all the authorities I need to run Shas," he said.
He further stressed that "I'm the one running Shas today. We have a joint leadership but every board has to have a chairman, and at least for now I'm the chairman of the board. Naturally, I have people I consult with, but I'm running Shas."
Deri said that his appointment was agreed upon by his partners in leadership, saying that "There are no camps within Shas – the collaboration is complete."
Akiva Novick is a Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth correspondent
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