Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Rabbi Ovadia YosefIsrael news photo: Flash 90

The French Consulate in Jerusalem recently hosted a terrorist convicted of planning to murder Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, in an official ceremony.

The terrorist is Salah Hamouri, who was convicted of the plot in 2009 and sentenced to seven years in jail. He was released in December 2011 as part of the Schalit deal. Hamouri, who has French citizenship, was included in the list of prisoners to be freed after the French government intervened on his behalf.

Hamouri was invited to a ceremony in which officials signed an agreement for cooperation between the Ile de France province in France and the Jerusalem District of the Palestinian Authority.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor reacted to the event, saying that "Hamouri was convicted of attempted murder by his own confession. Turning him into a desirable personality causes one to question the moral world of those who see him as a hero and their motives."

Yonatan Yosef, grandson of Rabbi Ovadiah, told Arutz Sheva, "Through its behavior, France proves its weakness vis-à-vis Arabs of the worst kind."

"We are shocked at the shameful behavior of the French Consulate, which tramples upon the emotions of Jews worldwide," he added.