The Egyptian criminal court will look into charges filed by the Arab Defense Society against Israel’s spiritual Shas party leader, Rabbi Ovadi Yusef, reported the official Kuwaiti news agency (KUNA) on Thursday.
The society includes several journalists and intellects.
Earlier this month, Yosef had said in a sermon ahead of the weekend Passover holiday that God must annihilate the Arabs and rain missiles down on them.
In the course of a discussion of the historical enemies of the Jews, and pleas to God to defeat them, Rabbi Yosef said of Israel's Arab foes that "it is forbidden to be merciful to them, you must give them missiles, with relish - annihilate them. Evil ones, damnable ones."
The society said the aggressive language against Arabs has increased in after the ascension of the rightist Israeli government.
But a spokesman of Yosef said at that time that the rabbi meant only “terrorist Arabs.” Yosef himself retracted the statements days later
"Only a dummy could conceive that the rabbi intended harm to innocents or attacking them with missiles."
Yosef’s remarks triggered wide Arab and Israeli criticism; a Jordanian businessman promised a million-dinar prize for anyone to kill the rabbi – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
