A spokesman for Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has defended anti-Arab statements by the religious leader, which sparked a storm of criticism.
Yosef had said in a sermon ahead of the weekend Passover holiday that God must annihilate the Arabs and rain missiles down on them.
In the course of a discussion of the historical enemies of the Jews, and pleas to God to defeat them, Rabbi Yosef said of Israel's Arab foes in remarks quoted Monday in Maariv daily: "It is forbidden to be merciful to them, you must give them missiles, with relish - annihilate them. Evil ones, damnable ones."
The spokesman told Radio Israel that the rabbi meant only “terrorist Arabs.”
"Only a dummy could conceive that the rabbi intended harm to innocents or attacking them with missiles."
Rabbi Yosef, who has also attacked Israeli leftists and others in graphic terms, also was quoted as saying "May the Holy Name visit retribution on the Arabs' heads, and cause their seed to be lost, and annihilate them, and cause them to be vanquished and cause them to be cast from the world."
According to Haaretz, Likud cabinet minister Meir Sheetrit condemned the remarks, telling Israel Radio "A person of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's stature must refrain from acrid remarks such as these ... I suggest that we not learn from the ways of the Palestinians and speak in verbal blows like these."
But Labor cabinet minister Salah Tarif said "You don't need explanations, because things like this don't need to be said in the first place." Tarif, a Druze Arab, said it was "truly a pity that such things are said at such a difficult time in relations between the nation and Arabs both within the country and without. These remarks add nothing but hatred, and it’s a shame they were uttered by someone as great in Torah learning as Rabbi Ovadia."
Leftist Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On, continued Haaretz, was quoted by the paper as suggesting the rabbi needed to take the anti-depression drug Prozak, asking "Why do we deserve this 11th plague in the form of the cursing Rabbi Ovadia?"
Last year, the Shas top rabbi described the Palestinians as “snakes,” a statement that aroused similar reactions – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
