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Thousands gathered yesterday at the home and at the graveside of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to pay their respects and offer condolences to the family of the revered Shas mentor who died on Tuesday.

The funeral of Rabbi Yosef, who was a hugely influential religious authority and the figurehead of Israel’s Sephardi community, was the largest in Israel’s history. Large crowds continued yesterday to mark Rabbi Yosef’s passing as thousands visited a mourner’s tent erected outside his home in the Har Nof neighbourhood of Jerusalem, where the family is marking the traditional seven-day Jewish mourning period. Dignitaries who visited to offer condolences during the day included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau, President Shimon Peres and UK Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould.

However, with speculation mounting already in the Israeli media over the future of Shas as a movement and a political force, Shas leaders were eager to pledge that the party will remain united in honour of Rabbi Yosef. Shas political leader Aryeh Deri told Channel Two yesterday that although nobody could replace Rabbi Yosef, “There is no split, and there won’t be… Shas is united and will continue to be united.” Deri dismissed suggestions that his predecessor Eli Yishai would split the party and Yishai himself said that he will do everything possible to maintain party unity. However, a report in Maariv this morning claims that Yishai has accused Deri of ‘taking over’ Rabbi Yosef’s funeral and using it for his own political ends.

There is also no clear successor to the religious leadership of Shas. Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rabbi Yosef’s son Yitzhak who recently succeeded Amar as Chief Rabbi are considered to be two of the main potential heirs apparent. However, Maariv suggests this morning that Rabbi Yosef’s daughter-in-law Yehudit Yosef will be an important power broker and that she does not favour Amar.