Born to Serve

So just how far to the right is this Israeli government? Well this is certainly no perfect indicator, but it should give you some idea where, ideologically, this government is. The spiritual head of the Shas movement in Israel, Rabbi Ovadei Yosef, who has previously been called one of Israel's most influential rabbis, has also previously called for an annihilation of the Arabs. Most recently, he argued that Gentiles exists only to serve Jews. Here's what you need to know from the Jerusalem Post:

The sole purpose of non-Jews is to serve Jews, according to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the head of Shas’s Council of Torah Sages and a senior Sephardi adjudicator.

“Goyim were born only to serve us. Without that, they have no place in the world – only to serve the People of Israel,” he said in his weekly Saturday night sermon on the laws regarding the actions non-Jews are permitted to perform on Shabbat.

According to Yosef, the lives of non-Jews in Israel are safeguarded by divinity, to prevent losses to Jews.

“In Israel, death has no dominion over them... With gentiles, it will be like any person – they need to die, but [God] will give them longevity. Why? Imagine that one’s donkey would die, they’d lose their money.

This is his servant... That’s why he gets a long life, to work well for this Jew,” Yosef said.

So the Shas party, an integral part of Netanyahu's coalition, has this rabbi as their spiritual leader. Netanyahu sought Shas's support very early on in the coalition building process, but not before bringing in Avigdor Lieberman's ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, of course. Shas also happens to hold some important ministries as well. Along with deputy premiership, Shas also holds the Religious Affairs, Internal Affairs and....drum-roll.....Housing and Construction (i.e. Settlements).

Is there really any wonder why Palestinians, and most reasonable people for that matter, don't trust the intentions of the Netanyahu government?

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