Rabbi Shlomo Amar
Rabbi Shlomo AmarArutz Sheva

Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, has submitted an application to the Chief Rabbinate Council asking to extend his term in office by five years.

Rabbi Amar was elected two years ago as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, along with Rabbi Aryeh Stern.

He was required to submit a request to the Chief Rabbinate to extend his term due to the fact that he has already reached the age of 70 and a decision by the Chief Rabbinate Council is required in order to extend his term.

If his request is approved, the move would likely be welcomed by the Shas party, as up until recently there appeared to be a strong possibility that Rabbi Amar, known for his popularity among many Sephardic communities, would join Eli Yishai’s Yachad party or lead an alternative political platform that would clash with Shas.

In November, recordings were published in which Shas chairman Aryeh Deri was heard verbally attacking Rabbi Shlomo Amar.

Deri's wrath was aroused by a rare summit meeting between Rabbi Shalom Cohen, President of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, and Rabbi Amar, who is considered an independent figure in the Sephardic Torah world.

Rabbi Yaakov Cohen, the son of Rabbi Shalom Cohen with whom Deri was heard speaking in the leaked recording, later filed a complaint with the Jerusalem police for suspected wiretapping.