The United States condemned the words of Shas' spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef against PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Arabs. A statement released the by the US State Department said that Rabbi Yosef's words are "not only very harmful, but also affect the efforts to achieve peace."

Rabbi Yosef made a public wish on Saturday night during his weekly sermon that "our enemies and haters may come to an end, Abu Mazen and all these villains – may the Holy One, Blessed Be He, afflict them with the plague... these evil enemies of Israel."

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office said on Sunday that the Rabbi's words "do not reflect the attitude of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government's position." The statement reiterated Netanyahu's commitment to achieving peace with the Arabs.