Former Shas Knesset Member Rabbi Yosef Azran, who was the Chief Rabbi of Rishon LeTzion, passed away Wednesday at age 69. He had been hospitalized in serious condition at Hadassah Ein Karem last month and was flown to France for an operation two days ago. He died in France.

Rabbi Azran was born October 19 1941 in Marrakesh, Morocco, and made Aliyah to Israel in 1957. He directed an educational institute in Morocco, then directed a boarding school in Strasbourg, France. Later he was the principal of a Torah education institute in Ashdod, Israel, and founded the Netivot Chaim institutes at Kiryat Malachi and Bnei Berak.

He was elected to the 12th Knesset in 1988 as part of the Shas Sephardic-hareidi party, and served in the 13th Knesset too. He became Deputy Finance Minister under Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir (Likud), who entered office in 1990.

He ran for the 14th Knesset independently of Shas, in a list called Telem Emunah, but failed to enter the Knesset. He then became a Yeshiva Head in Sderot and Chief Rabbi of Rishon LeTzion.  

The time of his funeral has yet to be announced.