Rabbi Yosef Pushes Shas Toward Karhi Communications Bill Support

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Shas's spiritual leader and a member of its Council of Torah Sages, wrote to Aryeh Deri that there is no room to delay or endanger Basic Law: Torah Study and the kashrut bill. After a request from Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, the letter pushed Shas toward backing coalition legislation, including Karhi's Communications Bill, conditioned on the coalition completing its Torah-study and kashrut commitments. Reports say Shas had said a day earlier it could not support the current text because religious safeguards were missing, especially around Shabbat and inappropriate content. The development keeps coalition bargaining tied to Torah-study and kashrut commitments while Haredi lawmakers continue to press for Shabbat and content safeguards.