Ultra-orthodox candidates elected Israel’s new chief rabbis

David Lau, 47, was voted Ashkenkazi chief rabbi and Yitzhak Yosef Sephardi, 61,  chief rabbi Wednesday. Both defeated their Religious Zionist rivals Rabbis Stav and Eliyahu after heated campaigns and both are sons of former chief rabbis themselves. They also won equal majorities of 68 out of 147 eligible voters.
Rabbi Yosef is the sixth son of the Shas party’s spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. His election is seen as a victory of the ultra-religious party against the Religious Zionist party led by the cabinet minister Naftalil Bennett.
David Lau was chief rabbi of Shoham and currently of the town of Modiin. He served in the armed forces with the rank of major.