Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef
Rabbi Yitzhak YosefDavid Cohen/Flash90

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, addressed the rift which was displayed within the nation over the government's frozen judicial reforms and said that he was deeply hurt by the vitriol Israelis unleashed on each other as a result.

"It hurts me a lot. We have seen pilots and reservists who announced that they will not serve, and from that you can understand that this has gone out of control. You see doctors in Hadassa [Medical Center] who are close to [Shas chairman] Aryeh Deri, call him and talk to him in pain and anger. Things can't go on like this," Rabbi Yosef told Mishpacha Magazine.

The Chief Rabbi said that the government tried to do too much, too quickly. "They went about it the wrong way. It should have been done bit by bit. I spoke to the country's leaders and said: 'Look for a way to compromise'. I am glad that the request was fulfilled and they started promoting a compromise."

He said that the government must negotiate and compromise, but it could not fold completely in the negotiations. In addition, the rabbi said that the government must not compromise on matters of religion. "Also, we need to explain to [Justice Minister Yariv] Levin to leave religious matter to the Great Rabbinical Court."

"The Passover holiday is a time of unity, when around the Seder table we are commanded to sit with all four sons, and to declare 'All who are hungry, come and eat.' I very much hope that the people of Israel will understand this important message, and will realize how to live in peace and brotherhood.

When asked if he ever had a heart to heart conversation with former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid during the previous government, the rabbi said: "I didn't talk to them. I saw Lapid once at a memorial for those killed in one of the attacks. He came up to me and shook my hand. I didn't know him. How was I supposed to know him? I didn't know it was Lapid. I knew Bennett. And Bennett, when he saw me, would shake my hand."