Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's daughter: "If [my] father were alive, the hostages would been home within a week"

Rebbetzin Adina Bar Shalom, daughter of Rav Ovadya Yosef z"l, criticized the Shas party this morning (Monday) in an interview on Kan Moreshet. She claims they are not pushing to advance a deal for the release of the hostages.

"Father was involved in everything, and the commandment of redeeming captives stands above all. If we are strong enough to defend the country, then we will become even stronger if we save our people who were taken through no fault of their own. How can we sit idly by? How can we ignore it? Why are the Haredi parties ignoring it?" Bar Shalom asked.

"We can catch the terrorists who will be released in the deal wherever they hide. I believe in the IDF's power to neutralize any of those who will be released. Saving lives takes precedence over other commandments. Father was very adamant about this. If father were alive, the hostages would be home within a week," she added.

Bar Shalom also expressed enthusiastic support for including core studies in the Haredi curriculum. "Father called it foundation studies and said he regretted not knowing English. Of course, mathematics, English, and Hebrew should be taught, it also improves the study of Gemara."