Chacham Ovadiah Urges Netanyahu To Push For Pollard’s Release

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu met with Chacham Ovadiah Yosef, head of the Shas party’s Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah, yesterday and spoke with him about the efforts to secure the release of Jonathan Pollard and Ilan Grapel.

Chacham Ovadiah told Netanyahu to persist in his efforts to bring Israeli captives home after the return of Gilad Shalit and to focus on Pollard, who has been imprisoned in the US since 1987. Netanyahu told Chacham Ovadiah that he was working hard on the matter

Netanyahu added that progress has been made with regard to Grapel, who is being held in Egypt.

The meeting also included a discussion of political matters and some of it was kept secret. At one point, all aides and security guards were asked to leave the room. Only Netanyahu, Chacham Ovadiah, and Shas MKs Eli Yishai and Ariel Atias remained.

Netanyahu thanked Chacham Ovadiah for his endorsement of the Shalit swap and requested a bracha in honor of his recent 62nd birthday.

{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}