The following statement was released by the US State Department in regards to remarks by Chacham Ovadia Yosef Shlita this past Motzei Shabbos, when he called for the death of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinians:
“We regret and condemn the inflammatory statements by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. We note the Israeli statement that the Rabbi’s comments do not reflect the views of the Prime Minister. These remarks are not only deeply offensive, but incitement such as this hurts the cause of peace. As we move forward to relaunch peace negotiations, it is important that actions by people on all sides help to advance our effort, not hinder it.”
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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19 Responses
I THINK WE ALL AGREE WITH THE RABBI, ANYONE WITH THAT IS NOT BLINDED BY THE LIES OF THE MEDIA WOULD AGREE. ITS A JEWS RESPONSIBILITY TO STAND UP AND TELL THE TRUTH.
Rav Ovadia your are the best we love you!!!
Now everyone is running scared of the Chacham!
What have other Gedolim said about the issue? That’s what we should be looking at.
LET ME EXPLAIN WHY CROWLEYS REMARKS ARE UNDERSTANDABLE DESPITE OUR AGREEMENT WITH CHACHAM YOSEF:
I INVITE ALL OF THE READERSHIP TO READ THIS AND LEARN SOMETHING.
THE STATE DEPT HAS MADE IT OFFICAL U.S. POLICY THAT THE PA MUST STOP INCITEMENT. ONLY SOMEONE WHO SELECTIVELY IGNORES THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA WOULD NOT KNOW THIS. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN DEMANDS OF ALL ISRAELI ADMINISTRATIONS AND THE BUSH AND OBAMA ADMINSTRATIONS. THE REASON CROWLEY SAID THIS WITH REGARD TO THE RAV IS BECAUSE HE IS THE DECISION MAKER AND SOLE AUTHORITY OF SHAS- A MEMBER OF THE LEGAL GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND A MEMBER OF THE PRIME MINISTER’S RULING COALTION.
ONCE WE REALIZE THIS IT IS VERY ELEMENTARY THAT IT WOULD BE THE HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY IF CROWLEY DIDNT CONDEMN THE REMARKS LIHAVDIL JUST LIKE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ROUTINELY CONDEMNS PALESTINIAN INCITEMENT. HOWEVER, UNLIKE WITH THE LIKUD COALITION, WHAT IS CALLED INCITEMENT IS NOT COMING FROM ABBAS’ RULING COALITION- INSTEAD THE INCITEMENT IS COMING FROM ELEMENTS THAT ARE NOT PART OF ABBAS’ RULING COALITION. SO CROWLEY’S REMARKS ARE COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE AND NOTHING TO BE ALARMED ABOUT.
BS”D
While I understand that the comments were taken out of context, what this shows is that the state of Israel is but a US satrapy which indeed exists at the mercy of and takes its orders from the US State Department (the same department that kept Jews out during the war).
What right does the US have to criticize a rabbi in a foreign country?
The answer is, every right, because the US bankrolls that country as part of a scam that said country does not have the guts to break away from despite its (presently) strong economy.
What would you expect the state department to say if Abbas called for the death of Rav Ovadiah?
Does anybody recall the state department issuing such a statement whenever the Palestinians or other Arabs call for the murder of Jews or Israelis?
When the original story was published on YWN, I wondered the wisdom of posting it. After all what differentiates what R’ Ovadia Yosef said and the head of Hamas says in regards to Israelis? They both sound radical and doesn’t really help our cause. Some things are better left unpublished . Just a thought…..
Does this qualify R. Ovadia Yosef as one of the most important rabbanim of all time. He holds no official position (at most, he is the rabbinical advisor of a second tier political party that holds no portfolios pertaining to defense and foreign affairs). Yet both the Israeli and American government feel a need to respond to his statements on politics (which probably reflect a large percentage of Israelis, and are fujlly reciprocated by the Arabs).
The Rav’s EMES is a breath of fresh air in the midst American, arab, AND Israeli political SHEKER!!!
What would you expect the state department to say if Abbas called for the death of Rav Ovadiah?
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Nothing.
This is crazy – good people have to get off this boat, and distance themselves from the intolerant fanatics that run our religious right wing.
I mean, is it inherently morally wrong for Muslims or Christian Crusaders to advocate death for masses if “non-believers” or “heathens?” Or is it just that their theology is wrong; that because ours is correct it is morally right for us to do so?
the rabbi is right, and there is nothing wrong with what he said, whoever heard his speech and understand the nature of the hebrew language and phrases we say, will relize that his words were taken out of context, (as if he was inticing jewish jihad against palestinians.)
the rabbis statments are not any worse than the prayers that all jews will be reciting on rosh hashanah night at the meal when we do all the simanim, we all say, ” yehi ratson sheikartu oibeinu vesoneinu vekhol mebakshe raateinu ” which means that we ask and pray that all our enemies and haters and ones that wish us bad, should die and perish and be cut off of life. every jew says this on rosh hashanah with severe intensity,and we all have the same people in mind. maybe the state department should come out and condemn our prayer books too.
long live israel, long live rav ovadia yosef.
death upon all our enemies, haters, and whoever wishes us bad.
Ahh YonasonW, you are ignoring a very real fact of history. The PA has never renounced terrorism. In fact their charter STILL calls for the destruction of Israel. If it is okay for the PA to tacitly call for the death of Jews, why is not Chacham Yosef justified in his remarks?
Your Sister – you eloquently state the case for lowering our standartds to theirs. Mazel Tov
YonasonW, so you are equating killing people with saying, let them die? Believe me, if that were the extent of anti-Semitism we would still be living in Bavel.
To YonasonW (#13)-
Of course our theology is right and theirs is wrong,
BUT, –
THAT is not the reason why there is a HUGE difference between some imam saying to kill the masses of Jews and what Rav Ovadia shlit”a said.
The difference is very simple…
The individual and the masses the Rav referred to, ARE murderers, WE are not!
YonasonW #16 –
Have you ever heard of the Torah injunction…
Ha’ba le’harge’cha, hashkaiym le’hargo!
Would you say the Torah is “lowering our standards to theirs”?