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Shas' Ovadia Yosef under fire for calling secular teachers 'asses' By Haaretz Staff The spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, called secular teachers in Israel "asses" on Saturday during his weekly sermon. Yosef has previously voiced his wish that the Education Ministry be handed over to Shas' hands. Advertisement In his sermon, the rabbi said that the teachers in the secular education system know nothing, "neither the Sabbath, nor holiday," and teach only "nonsense", and added that people whose parents placed them in the secular education system are unfortunate. "What do they teach? They teach history and all sorts of nonsense about world nations, that's all," he said. Education Minister Yuli Tamir responded harshly to Yosef's remarks, demanding that he publicly apologize for the "ugly comment." She added that the rabbi's sermon was "rude, baseless and offensive to tens of thousands of public servants who faithfully carry out their difficult work." Shas' punchbag MK Ofir Pines-Paz (Labor) also voiced his objection, saying, "We won't allow Shas to turn Israel's teachers into the punching bag of its elections campaign." Pines-Paz added that both Yosef'a and Shas chairman Eli Yishai's express wish to control the Education Ministry "prove how dangerous a government headed by [Likud chairman Benjamin] Netanyahu, who refused to divulge the promises he made to Shas in coalition talks, would be." National Union-National Religious Party chairman MK Zevulun Orlev said that "Shas deserves the education portfolio about as much as the National Union-NRP deserves the defense portfolio." Orlev said: "Anyone who refuses to take part in Zionist state education can't be education minister, just as those who preach evading mandatory army service can't serve as defense minister." Yishai issued a statement in response to the criticism, saying that Orlev was the "architect who destroyed education in his post as Education Ministry director-general, and [was] the destroyer of Zionism in his position of National Union-NRP chairman." Yishai also said: "The Jewish people have not forgotten who began the destruction of the Jewish home, and Shas is still fighting to repair the damage." Two weeks ago, Rabbi Yosef and Yishai set a goal for their party of winning 18 Knesset seats in the upcoming February election, an increase of six seats from the 12 the party currently holds. "What do we want in reference to the Education Ministry?" asked Yishai, as he elaborated on his plans for his next term. He answered: "To teach Judaism, tradition, bar mitzvah, Shabbat, honoring thy father and mother - this is what Maran [Ovadia Yosef] preaches daily." Yishai lashed out at other political parties who have held the education portfolio over the years, saying "every year drug abuse and violence among youth grows, and the level of education falls." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Spy chain Iran: We smashed espionage network linked to Israel. Poultry dilemma Will U.S. Jews have kosher Turkey this Thanksgiving?

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