Photo Credit: Yaakov Naumi / Flash 90
Israeli Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef

The Israeli government has assigned a personal security detail to the Rishon Lezion, Israel Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef in the wake of concrete death threats made against the rabbi, according to a report on the Kikar Shabat website.

On Sunday evening, the rabbi arrived at a bar mitzvah celebration in Hadera escorted by a security guard.

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The measure was taken following a complaint submitted to police by the chief rabbinate in response to leaflets published by the military wing of Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization, threatening the Rishon Lezion and featuring photographs of Rabbi Yosef, MK Rabbi Yehuda Glick and other rabbis as well, calling for their assassination.

Religious Services Minister David Azoulay (Shas) last week requested that Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan order a security detail for the chief rabbi “in light of the threat from terrorist organizations in Gaza.”

Azoulay wrote in his letter to Erdan, “I request that action be taken as soon as possible in order to clarify the threat with the relevant parties, and to ensure the immediate safety of the Chief Rabbi of Israel until such time as the threat is eliminated.” He specifically referred to the leaflets distributed by the military wing of Hamas, calling for the assassination of the rabbis.

The Chief Rabbinate filed a complaint with police, charging incitement and threats of murder from the leaflets.

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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.