JERUSAEM (AP) — An Israeli religious party official says the prime minister's national security adviser met with a prominent rabbi and tried to persuade him to favor a strike on Iran's nuclear sites.
The Shas Party official says Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Shas' 92-year-old spiritual leader, met with national security adviser Yaakov Amidror last week. The official spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private.
He said did not know the rabbi's response. Israeli leaders have consulted with Yosef, who has hundreds of thousands of followers, about weighty military decisions in the past.
The meeting comes at a time of concern about a possible Israeli strike against Iran to stop its nuclear program. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened military action, though officials stress no final decision has been made.
