After being appointed Israel’s new Sephardic chief rabbi, David Yosef vows to 'unify the people of Israel'

Rabbi David Yosef has been elected as Israel’s next Sephardic chief rabbi, according to an announcement by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel on Sunday. As the favored candidate, Yosef secured the support of 72 of the 140 members of the Chief Rabbi Election Assembly.

The Chief Rabbinate is a century-old body that manages Jewish religious life in Israel, divided between Sephardim – Jews of Spanish or Middle Eastern descent – and Ashkenazim, Jews of German or East European descent.

Following his victory, Yosef, who is the son of the prominent former Sephardi ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, said being appointed was “a great privilege, and with God’s help I will work night and day to unify the nation in this difficult time.”

The newly-elected Sephardic chief rabbi vowed to unite Israeli Jews of various cultural and religious backgrounds.

“I will continue to work with all my strength to unify the people of Israel, out of a deep commitment to Torah values, the people and the land,” Yosef stated. “I will continue to devote my power to strengthen the bond between all the national camps.”

Yosef currently serves as the rabbi of Har Nof, a religious neighborhood in Jerusalem. While serving in a religious capacity, Yosef has developed close ties to the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi political party leader Aryeh Deri.

Yosef is the third member of his family to serve as Israel’s Sephardi chief rabbi. In addition to his late father, his older brother Yitzhak Yosef recently held this influential religious position for a decade, and was known for his divisive and controversial statements.