Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef on Thursday spoke at the affirmation ceremony for members of the Chief Rabbinate Council, calling on all rabbis to work towards unity and ensure respectful discourse.
Speaking at the ceremony, which was held at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, Rabbi Yosef said, "We are permitted to express criticism, but we must choose our words carefully."
He stressed that criticism must be said from a place of responsibility and unity, especially when the speaker is numbered among the public's leading rabbinical figures.
Rabbi Yosef also criticized the words of his brother, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who last year spoke harshly about the possibility that haredi yeshiva students would be required to enlist in the IDF.
In his statements, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said, "If they force us to enlist in the army, we will all leave for abroad."
Rabbi David Yosef stressed that criticism must be said "without statements such as, 'We'll emigrate from Israel.' No, we are not leaving Israel, we are here because this is our Land - we are not going anywhere."