Rabbi Ovadia Yosef declines to sign boycott letter

The rabbinical leader supports negotiations with Alon Group.

Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as well as top Lithuanian rabbis have decided to withdraw from the threat of a boycott of retail chain Shefa Shuk, a unit of Alon Israel Oil Company Ltd., owned by chairman David Weissman.

A mediator between Blue Square Israel Ltd. (NYSE: BSI; TASE: BSI), which owns the retail chain, and haredim (ultra-orthodox) said, "As of now, there is a dispute between the rabbis because some of the hassidic leaders are determined to confront David Weissman because another of his retail chains, AM:PM is open on Shabbat. The hassidic rabbis refuse to sit down for negotiations."

Aides of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said today that he refuses to sign the boycott letter on which other leading rabbis have signed. The aides added that Yosef supports negotiations with Alon Group. They said that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has never signed any boycott letter of any kind.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 7, 2008

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2008

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