Dozens of agitators tried to disrupt the press conference of former Shas MK Eli Yishai press conference this evening at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem, according to police.
Hotel security managed to keep them out during the main part of Yishai’s conference.
But numerous agitators, supporters of Aryeh Deri, managed to get in and began yelling at Yishai, and according to one report, even tried to attack him physically.
Eli Yishai was rushed to a side room for his safety by Knesset bodyguards who were on site to protect him.
At least one agitator reached the stage and tried to take down the picture of Rav Ovadia.
There are reports that reporters were also verbally attacked by the Aryeh Deri supporting instigators.
Police Yassam (SWAT) teams arrived to protect Yishai and the participants, and the hotel is under heavy guard by the police, Yassam, and Knesset security.
One Eli Yishai supporter was lightly injured by the agitators.
At the conference, Yishai officially announced he was leaving Shas and starting his own party.
He explicitly told his supporters that he won’t accept any attacks on Shas by his party members.
Yishai quit the Shas party after Deri, who was restored to the top position by the then ailing Rav Ovadia Yosef, placed untenable conditions on Yishai’s staying in the party.
In the end, his party will be called “Yachad”, not “Maran” as Yisahi had originally hoped.
Video of the agitators:
Video of Eli Yishai’s statement to the press: