Rabbi Ovadia Yosef backtracks after insulting bereaved families

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef on Tuesday backtracked from his comments that IDF soldiers died in battle because they were not ritually observant Jews. Shas Chairman Eli Yishai said Yosef was "misunderstood," and that his sermon referred to biblical-era soldiers who died because they had not prayed before battle.