The spiritual leader of the Sefardi haredi Shas political party Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef attacked the right wing Zionist Orthodox Habayit Hayehudi
party Saturday night, calling it a party of “goyyim” that wants to
"abolish the Torah.”
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Calls Zionist Orthodox Party “Goyyim” Who Want To “Abolish The Torah”
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Ynet reports that the spiritual leader of the Sefardi haredi Shas political party Rabbi Ovadia Yosef attacked the right wing Zionist Orthodox Habayit Hayehudi party Saturday night, calling it a party of “goyyim” that wants to "abolish the Torah.”
“They want to introduce civil marriage, to have public transportation on Shabbat. They call themselves religious? They must not be referred to as religious. Do not vote for them,” Yosef also reportedly said.
Yosef made his remarks during his weekly Saturday night public lecture after the three co-leaders of Shas visited Rabbi Yosef earlier Saturday and told him that Habayit Hayehudi was surging in the polls. The three reportedly fear that surge is taking votes away from Shas.
"Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is an important spiritual leader for many sectors in Israel and we respect and admire him. Our goal is to act as a bridge between the sectors of Israeli society and we shall continue to do so. If we come under fire from all parties then we must be doing something right,” Habayit Hayehudi said in response.
Habayit Hayehudi's hopes to gain control of the state’s conversion apparatus after Tuesday’s elections, also angering Yosef and Shas.
"There is a speedier way to perform conversions even in accordance with the halacha,” Habayit Hayehudi’s Ayelet Shaked said last week.