Ovadia Yosef quotes

Ovadia Yosef was a prominent Sephardic rabbi and former Chief Rabbi of Israel. Renowned for his scholarly works and bold religious rulings, he played a major role in influencing Jewish law and Israeli society. He became a spiritual and political leader, founding the Shas party to represent Sephardic Jews. Here are 15 of his quotes:

Saving a life overrides territories. (Ovadia Yosef)
You must not lean on a tree on Sabbath, if the tree might be dependent on you for support. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
Where there is Torah it sustains the world. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
There was a tsunami and there are terrible natural disasters, all of this because of too little Torah study. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
We should have a banquet on the day haters die. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
It is easy for a rabbi to establish prohibitions, but a rabbi's real strength is to teach Torah and rule on law with an emphasis on what is permitted. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
In Israel, death has no dominion over them...With gentiles, it will be like any person – they need to die, but (God) will give them longevity. Why? Imagine that one's donkey would die, they'd lose their money. This is his servant...That's why he gets a long life, to work well for this Jew. Gentiles were born only to serve us. Without that, they have no place in the world – only to serve the People of Israel. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
The most significant halachic authority of the last 100 years, whose positions helped fashion a balanced and moderate Judaism. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
It is forbidden to be merciful to them. You must send missiles to them and annihilate them. They are evil and damnable. [...] The Lord shall return the Arabs' deeds on their own heads, waste their seed and exterminate them, devastate them and vanish them from this world. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
They don't observe the Sabbath, they don't observe the Torah, they don't pray, they don't put on phylacteries every day. Is it any wonder that they're killed? It's no wonder. May the Almighty have mercy on them and bring them back to religion. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
A Druze soldier who stood guard to protect Israel against vengeful enemies, and was killed by Ishmaelites - it is proper to say a 'hashkava' [prayer] in synagogue for the benefit of his soul... The Druze believe in one God and are not idolaters at all, and also believe in the persistence of the soul [after death], and all the more so they enlist in the IDF and sacrifice themselves to protect the inhabitants of the State of Israel, and they keep the Seven Mitzvot of the Children of Noah, and their status is as Righteous of the Nations of the World. (Ovadia Yosef)
There was a tsunami and there are terrible natural disasters, all of this because of too little Torah study. Where there is Torah it sustains the world. There are negros there [in New Orleans]. Negros will study Torah? Let's bring them a tsunami, drown them. Hundreds of thousands were left without a shelter. Tens of thousands died. All of this is because they have no God. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
Goyim were born only to serve us. Without that, they have no place in the world – only to serve the People of Israel,. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
It is forbidden to be merciful to them. You must send missiles to them and annihilate them. They are evil and damnable. View quote
Ovadia Yosef
Why are Gentiles needed? They will work, they will plow, they will reap. We will sit like an effendi and eat. That is why Gentiles were created. View quote
Ovadia Yosef