Israeli politicians who forced the resignation of Shas political leader Aryeh Deri are “evil ones,” the spiritual leader of the fervently Orthodox party said Saturday. The comment by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef sparked demands for a clarification from Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak’s One Israel bloc, because Barak himself had demanded Deri’s resignation as a condition for holding coalition talks with Shas. A Shas official said Sunday that Yosef was referring to the leftist Meretz Party.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.