Shas vehemently denies the allegation in Israel Hayom about contacts between senior Shas officials and Eli Yishai about his possible return to leadership of the faction.
The party claims that the reports, which came against the background of a police interrogation of current Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, are false and misleading.
The clarification was written by Rabbi Yaakov Cohen, the son of the president of Shas' Council of Torah Sages, who was reported to have met with Eli Yishai to discuss the possibility of transferring the political leadership.
"In the past few days, divisive people who love controversy have published, against the wishes of our teacher, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, rumors in my name about changing the decision of Our Rabbi on the matter of our holy movement, Shas, presided over by my father and teacher Maran shlita and under the chairmanship of Rabbi Arye Deri, upon whom Maran relies for everything; he is the 'leader' who stands on the ramparts and vigorously fights the war of Torah for all of Israel," Cohen wrote.
"And since his opinion is well known to all, I hereby announce and add that there was no talk or even intention to change from the instructions of the rabbi my father Shlit"a or from the clear will and testament of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of blessed memory."