In front reporters and with dozens of television cameras rolling, several supporters of the chairman of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party, Aryeh Deri, broke into a press conference in the Ramada Hotel in Jerusalem where Deri’s archrival, Eli Yishai, was announcing his departure from Shas and the formation of a new haredi political party to compete with it. Deri's supporters disrupted the event.
In front of reporters and with dozens of television cameras rolling, several supporters of the chairman of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party, Aryeh Deri, broke into a press conference in the Ramada Hotel in Jerusalem where Deri’s archrival, Eli Yishai, was announcing his departure from Shas and the formation of a new haredi political party to compete with it.
Deri’s supporters grabbed a large framed photograph of of the late Sefardi haredi rabbinic leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the founder of Shas.
When reporters yelled that Deri’s supporters were stealing, the Deri supporter with the photograph in his hands yelled back, “from Eli Yishai one is allowed to steal.” The Deri supporters continued to riot, tearing Yishai’s campaign signs from the hotel meeting room’s walls.
Police arrived and removed the Deri supporters from the hotel but made no arrests.
Deri is a felon who was convicted on public corruption charges when he first served as Shas Party chairman years ago. He served a prison term and was only brought back into Shas leadership last year by Yosef.
After Yosef passed away, Deri and his supporters forced Yishai and another Shas politician out of their co-leadership roles, leaving Deri as the sole Shas leader.
Here’s a video of tonight’s mini-riot: