Rabbi Eliyahu Amar, the son of Rabbi Shlomo Amar, formerly Chief Rabbi of israel and currently Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, responded to recordings that were revealed yesterday in which Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri spoke disparagingly about his father, Rabbi Amar.
"These wordss are not worthy of anyone," Eliyahu said in an interview with Kol Brama radio."As a son of the rabbi, I am hurt twice; how do you explain these words to yeshiva students?"
At the same time, he made it clear that he chose to remain silent and not be dragged into disputes."I want to continue on my father's path and not to be dragged into disagreements; we have an order to remain silent, and this is what we will do ... We have public responsibility; we will not split the public," he said.
"I received many phone calls from people whose hearts are bleeding, who can't bear to hear such words ... The pain - it is painful and wounding - it is damaging, especially in my case, I am a 45 year old who barely knew his father because he was busy with public needs, because he is Holy of Holies. The holiness and the stature of the rabbi are way above all this, but the question remaining is how to explain these expressions to yeshiva students and rabbis."
Yesterday, it was reported that Shas chairman Aryeh Deri was recorded without his knowledge demanding that Rabbi Shalom Cohen, President of the Council of Torah Sages, immediately cut ties with all of Deri's opponents in the party.
Deri's wrath was aroused by a rare summit meeting between Rabbi Shalom Cohen, President of the Council of Torah Sages, and Rabbi Shlomo Amar, who is considered an independent figure in the Sephardic Torah world.
"There's no way out, you have to decide, there is nothing else you can do. You might decide now that your yeshiva is more important than the entire Shas party.Take your yeshiva, fine, but I'm not willing to go on with this another minute," Deri says to Yaakov Cohen.
Deri is heard speaking against the rabbi in a tone unheard of before from a haredi politician, "I told you fifty times, I'm not stupid. I know how much Amar can add to us [electorally], but I also know that on that day I will close down Shas. This is a fact. He is building a new Shas, because he wants to rule. He has nothing else, he's bored. He has to control, he needs the power. What your father runs away from (honor) is exactly the opposite with him and being involved in everything is what he wants ... There's nothing else he wants ... And these are the people around him, take a look at who's around him. Who are the people around him? The people around him are not people who have [Torah] students, they are not people who have followers."
The Shas chairman goes on in a sarcastic tone, "Believe me, he is suitable to be the chairman of the Shas movement, and between us, he is the most suitable among all the people I can see. Amar's fit to be chairman of the Shas movement.But okay, but okay, so you have to decide if you want to give him that.But put him as our spiritual leader, bring him closer and give him that power. "
In the recording, Deri also castigates MK Yaakov Margi, whom he claims is undermining him.
Deri rambles on, decrying those plotting against him: "Yehuda Avidan says last night that Nissim and Margi (Shas MKs) begged him to take action, promising to bring Yaakov Cohen to his home to explain the situation. You will hear him tell you what they said to him unequivocally: 'Come join us on the front lines, come stand with us. [Deri is finished] It's over, it's final. A plea bargain with the State Prosecutor's Office and in another month or so he leaves - and Margi will be minister in his place because Margi is the trusted confidant of Amar and Chacham Shalom and Yaakov Cohen will be in with us on this.' They talk nonsense and people hear it and feel like exploding. And they see the pictures, they see the pictures and they say 'Wait what happened here?Maybe they're really betraying Deri behind his back and Deri doesn't know about it'?"
Minister Deri said in response to the airing on Channel 2 that "the recording is meant to destroy Shas, I respect the rabbis and act according to their instructions."