A reference to Israel's Sephardim (see ORIENTAL JEWS) and their perceived second-class status in Israel. The Sephardi Torah Guardians (SHAS) Party was seen as representing Sephardim (whether Orthodox or not), and their success in the 1999 Knesset election was viewed as a victory for the Second Israel.
Historical Dictionary of Israel. Bernard Reich David H. Goldberg. Edited by Jon Woronoff..