ARYEH DERI WITH RABBI OVADIA YOSEF IN JERUSALEM, 1999-03-16 (photo)

Aryeh Deri, (L), a political kingmaker and head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, sits next to the party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, at a women's conference March 16, a day before an Israeli court is due to rule in his fraud and bribery trial. Israeli Police are preparing for large protests by Shas supporters if the verdict goes against Deri, who has been on trial since 1993 on charges he illegally channelled government funds to Shas-affiliated organisations and pocketed some of the money himself. Shas, with 10 legislators in the 120-member parliament, is a key member of the governing coalition and counts Sephardim, Jews with roots in Middle Eastern and North African countries, as its main power base. RH/JWH/CLH/