DTN News: US Official Condemns Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's Comments

DTN News: US Official Condemns Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's Comments Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including Israel National News

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA- August 30, 2010: A United States State Department official condemned Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's comments about PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas. "We regret and condemn the inflammatory statements by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef," American State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. He continued that they 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," said Crowley.

Rabbi Yosef, a former chief rabbi of Israel, gave a sermon that said in part, “our enemies and haters may come to an end, Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] and all these villains – may the Holy One, Blessed Be He, afflict them with the plague... these evil enemies of Israel.” The 89 year old rabbi is currently the President of the Shas Council of Torah Sages. The influential leader has made several controversial statements in the past.

The 89-year-old is a respected religious scholar but is also known for vitriolic comments about Arabs, secular Jews, liberals, women and gays, among others. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday distanced himself from Yosef's remarks, but stopped short of a condemnation. "Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's remarks do not reflect Netanyahu's views, nor do they reflect the stance of the Israeli government," Netanyahu's office said in a statement. "Israel plans to take part in peace negotiations out of a desire to advance toward a peace agreement with the Palestinians that will end the conflict and ensure peace, security and good neighborly relations between the two peoples," the statement continued. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat slammed Yosef's remarks, saying they were paramount to incitement to genocide. Erekat called on the Israeli government to denounce the remarks by Israel's former chief rabbi Ovadia Yosef, and to take action against racist remarks by other elected officials.

**This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail

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