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| Rabbi David Stav (right) |
An orthodox Jewish rabbi was beaten by a group of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men just days after Sephardic leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef called him an evil man.
Several days ago, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef launched a vicious verbal attack against moderate Orthodox Rabbi David Stav, calling him an evil man and cursing him. Yosef’s rant prompted the physical assault by a group of yeshiva students against Stav.
Stav, who is running for Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, was attending the wedding of the daughter of the Western Wall Rabbi, Shmuel Rabinovitch, when he was attacked. The wedding took place in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak.
When Stav came to the wedding and joined the dancing, several yeshiva students began to push him and tried to throw him to the floor. At the same time, Sephardic Shas party Knesset member Ariel Atias left the dancing in order to protest the presence of Stav.
After being assaulted, Stav decided to leave the wedding. While leaving, dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews shouted curses at him, calling him wicked and dirty.
Despite the presence of dozens of rabbis at the wedding, no one intervened on Stav’s behalf.