Peres: Rabbi Ovadia Yosef a peace seeker

President Shimon Peres on Tuesday visited the sukkah of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef on  and later dropped by chief rabbis Yona Metzger and Shlomo Ammar accompanied by Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabbinowitz.

Peres congratulated Rabbi Yosef on his 90th birthday and said that "the honorable rabbi is a center of peace seeking," referring to the rabbi's harsh statements against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Rabbi Yosef, on his part, thanked the president for relaying his letter to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Peres and Rabbi Yosef in the sukkah (Photo: Kobi Nahshoni)

Peres said the letter was very important as "the Egyptian president stands firm in preventing wars and acting for peace." He added that Mubarak plays an important role in the battle between Iran and the 22 Arab states. "We want an independent state, not an Iranian empire's rule with their weapons, terror and hatred."

Peres further added that Mubarak greatly appreciated Rabbi Yosef's letter, to which the latter replied: "I wrote him some nice things to cheer him up."

The president told Rabbi Yosef that the two main objectives for the Jewish people at this time should be peace for the sake of security and a spiritual revival to reduce the violence level. Peres called on the government to use wisely the time left until the Arab League convention on October 4 when Abbas decides whether to quit negotiations with Israel.

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