Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the 93-year-old spiritual leader of Israel’s Shas party, is sedated and attached to a respirator, according to the Times of Israel.
Rabbi Yosef was hospitalized Saturday and underwent surgery to install a temporary pacemaker. On Monday, he went on the respirator.
On Tuesday, the rabbi’s doctor at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem said his condition had worsened, according to the Times of Israel.
Shas, an acronym for Shomrei Sfarad, is a fervently Orthodox political party that draws its base of support from the country’s Sephardic and Mizrahi population. Originally a small ethnic political group, it has become a major force in Israeli politics.
helenatjewishweek@gmail.com; @thesimplechild
The New York Jewish Week brings you the stories behind the headlines, keeping you connected to Jewish life in New York. Help sustain the reporting you trust by donating today.