The Sephardic-religious Shas party has begun responding to yesterday\'s report of a Jordanian businessman\'s threat to hire a hit-man to assassinate party spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The threat comes after the publication of a statement attributed to the rabbi to the effect that Israel should \"annihilate the Arabs.\" Rabbi Yosef has since clarified that he was referring to Arab terrorists, not to the entirety of the Arab world.
Labor and Welfare Minister Shlomo Benizri, a senior member of Shas, spoke to Arutz-7 today about the assassination threat. He said that it will not prevent Rabbi Yosef from leaving his home or making public appearances from now on. \"We believe in God, and the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps,\" Benizri said. \"Nevertheless, we have to do our part ... As soon as we heard about it, we contacted the police department and the General Security Service; both bodies said they would look into the matter. If people such as [Meretz leader] Yossi Sarid and [Shinui party leader] Tommy Lapid can pick up the phone and be quickly provided with one or two security guards - then Rabbi Yosef, who is one of the greatest leaders of our generation - should surely be granted an entire contingent...\"
Regarding the threat itself, Minister Benizri said that he doesn\'t blame the Arabs, \"a people that boasts many murderers. My beef is with [Meretz MK Zehava] Galon who went ahead and made a big public issue of what the rabbi said during the class, taking it out of context and perverting what he said. Now it has been spread throughout the Mid-East, thanks to her big mouth! When I think of what prompted her to do this, I can only conclude that left-wing politicians have nothing left to say: With their entire conception of peace process crumbling all around them, all that remains for them to do is to launch public attacks against Rabbi Yosef.\"
Labor and Welfare Minister Shlomo Benizri, a senior member of Shas, spoke to Arutz-7 today about the assassination threat. He said that it will not prevent Rabbi Yosef from leaving his home or making public appearances from now on. \"We believe in God, and the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps,\" Benizri said. \"Nevertheless, we have to do our part ... As soon as we heard about it, we contacted the police department and the General Security Service; both bodies said they would look into the matter. If people such as [Meretz leader] Yossi Sarid and [Shinui party leader] Tommy Lapid can pick up the phone and be quickly provided with one or two security guards - then Rabbi Yosef, who is one of the greatest leaders of our generation - should surely be granted an entire contingent...\"
Regarding the threat itself, Minister Benizri said that he doesn\'t blame the Arabs, \"a people that boasts many murderers. My beef is with [Meretz MK Zehava] Galon who went ahead and made a big public issue of what the rabbi said during the class, taking it out of context and perverting what he said. Now it has been spread throughout the Mid-East, thanks to her big mouth! When I think of what prompted her to do this, I can only conclude that left-wing politicians have nothing left to say: With their entire conception of peace process crumbling all around them, all that remains for them to do is to launch public attacks against Rabbi Yosef.\"