Sephardic Haredim

Sephardic Haredim are Jews of Sephardi and Mizrahi descent who are adherents of Haredi Judaism. According to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Sephardic Jews are called Sepharadim (Hebrew for "Iberians") because they accepted guidance from the Rambam, known as "The Spaniard". Sephardic Haredim today constitute a significant stream of Haredi Judaism, along with Sephardic Hasidim, and the Ashkenazi Hasidim and Lita'im. An overwhelming majority of Sephardic Haredim reside in Israel, where Sephardic Haredi Judaism emerged and developed. Although there is a lack of consistency in many of the statistics regarding Haredim in Israel, it is thought that some 20% of Israel's Haredi population are Sephardic Haredim. This figure is disputed by Shas, which claims that the proportion is "much higher than 20%", and cites voting patterns in Haredi cities to support its position. Sephardic Haredim differ from their Ashkenazi Hasidic and Litvishe counterparts in a number of significant ways. The central differentiating factor is that Sephardic Haredim follow the rulings and customs of their rabbis, which are rooted in the traditions of the Jews in Israel. Additional differences exist on issues such as political allegiance, as the vast majority of Sephardic Haredim are identified with Shas, while most Ashkenazi Haredim are identified with either United Torah Judaism or, to a lesser extent, HaEdah HaChareidis. Sephardic Haredim as a community tend to be moderately supportive of Zionism, while maintaining a theological neutrality regarding the existence of the State of Israel. Ashkenazi Haredim as a community exhibit a broader spectrum of views. In 2010, the Shas party, which represents an overwhelming majority of Sephardic Haredim, became the first Haredi political party to join the World Zionist Organization.