With the death of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, B’Chadrei Chareidim posted an article about the close connection between Mubarak and l’havdil, Maran Hagaon Rav Ovadia Yosef, z’tl.

In 2011, when Mubarak faced mass protests in Egypt inspired by the first Arab Spring in Tunisia and was subsequently ousted from power, Harav Ovadia Yosef spoke about the topic in his weekly shiur and said: “I’m davening now to Hakadosh Baruch Hu that He save him from his enemies.”

“Mubarak brought honor to Egypt,” Harav Yosef said. “Kings and princes respected him. He prevented wars, sought peace and loved Israel.”

“I’m davening that Hakadosh Baruch Hu instills his judges with wisdom – out of gratitude – that they end his judgment and deem him innocent.”

נשיא מצרים לשעבר, חוסני מובארק איננו
עוד בהיותו סגן הנשיא של אנואר סאדאת, היה מובארק בקשר טוב עם מנחם בגין ולאחר רצח סאדאת, כשמונה למחליפו, המשיך במימוש הסכם השלום עם ישראל.
בתמונה: מנחם בגין מתקבל על ידי סגן נשיא מצרים חוסני מובארק עם נחיתתו בנמל התעופה באלכסנדריה ב-25.8.1981 pic.twitter.com/mb8DnpqF1M

— גיל שמואלי Gil Shmueli (@gilshmueli) February 25, 2020

Rav Yosef said that Mubarak is a “decent man, a wise man…everything he promised me he fulfilled.”

Harav Yosef and Mubarak had a good relationship when Harav Yosef was a Rav in Egypt and the two continued the relationship after Rav Yosef moved to Israel and became the Chief Rabbi by writing letters to each other.

When Mubarak was still in power, he became ill and went to Germany for treatment. Rav Ovadia sent him a letter saying that “we are praying to the Creator of the World to send you a complete healing and full recovery.”

About two weeks later, Mubarak sent a return letter to Harav Yosef in which he wrote: “Dear friend and great Rav Ovadia Yosef, head of the Rabbinical Council, the State of Israel: I express my appreciation and thank you for the content, best wishes, positive statements and feelings in your letter. I wish to put you at ease, I am completely recovered and I’m in the best condition – contrary to what was reported about me in several media outlets in Israel and outside it.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)