Hiddush petitions Shas' illegal use of smartphone app to secure votes

Hiddush files a complaint to the Central Election Committee about Shas's smartphone app offering blessings from party’s spiritual leader. The use of blessings or curses in campaigning is strictly illegal.

01/01/2013 13:08

Tags: Shas · Hiddush · Ovadiah Yosef · smartphone ·

Interior Minister, Eli Yishai kissing the hand of the leader of Shas, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. 14.12.2009. Photo: Abir Sultan, Flash 90

Hiddush- Freedom of Religion for Israel filed a complaint with the Central Election committee against Shas for illegally using its Rabbi Ovadia Yosef smartphone application by offering blessings from the party’s spiritual leader.

On Sunday, the sefardic ultra-Orthodox party unveiled the app – called Maran Shelita, a Hebrew acronym for “the great rabbi, who should live a good and long life” – which can be used to request blessings from Yosef. Those who download the application can also watch a speech by the rabbi, a video about his life and a daily lesson in Jewish law.

There is a long-standing tradition in Israeli elections of giving out talismans, on the assumption that by the time they are told not to, it will be too late.

Hiddush demanded that the Central Election Committee chairman Justice Elyakim Rubinstein investigate whether the application breaks the Election Law, which forbids the use of blessings, talismans and curses in campaigns. Hiddush chairman Uri Regev pointed out that there is a “long-standing tradition in Israeli elections of giving out talismans, on the assumption that by the time they are told not to, it will be too late. Therefore, it is especially important that Justice Rubinstein investigate the issue urgently.”

“Every party should know that it cannot undermine the rule of law and democracy through blessings, curses and talismans, which have an inappropriate influence on voters,” Regev added.

An edited version of this article appeared in the Jerusalem Post.