President Shimon Peres responded to the developing row between Egypt and Hizbullah on Monday morning, saying, "Sooner or later the world will realize that Iran has aspirations to control the Middle East, and that it's Teheran which has colonialist ambitions." Speaking after meeting with the country's top rabbis in honor of Passover, Peres told Voice of Israel government radio that Hizbullah is "an Iranian agent", and called its chief, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, "a man who wraps himself in sheikh's robes, yet is willing to kill."
Throughout Monday morning, Peres, accompanied by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, met with Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger. The president traditionally visits the religious leaders twice a year, on Passover and Succot.