A bodyguard has been hired for protecting Israel's Shas spiritual leader, Ovadi Yosef, reported the Jerusalem Post newspaper. The stepped up security was in response to recently received intelligence information.
The paper added that the measures were taken as Yosef reportedly received "death threats" from the Islamic Resistance Hamas movement.
Yosef was warned by security officials to be more cautious in his movements and public appearances, said the paper.
Haaretz newspaper said Friday that the police warned the rabbi that Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin called for plotting an attack on him.
According to the paper, Yassin's call was most likely a response to a speech made by Yosef two months ago in which he compared Palestinians to snakes.
Yosef said also that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak had lost all sense by trying to make peace with them.
The police have tightened security surrounding Yosef's house, and have cancelled a number of events in which Yosef was to participate, said the paper.
Shas, the third largest party in parliament with 17 seats, quit Barak's coalition in July in protest at his peace policies on the eve of the Camp David talks, which ended in failure over the fate of Jerusalem - Albawaba.com
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