Jerusalem, 10 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rabbi David Yosef, issued a call to the general public in Israel and the Diaspora this evening during his weekly class, and addressed a direct call to the Prime Minister and the President of the State of Israel to join the surprising declaration of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to observe the upcoming Shabbat – the Sabbath.
This week, the White House issued an official proclamation on the occasion of “Jewish American Heritage Month 2026″ and the 250th anniversary of America, in which President Trump expressed deep appreciation for the Jewish religion and called on its citizens to honor the Sabbath and take time out for rest.
Rabbi Yosef called on Jews in all diaspora to observe the upcoming Shabbat together, saying, “How important it is that we all unite around the holy Sabbath. If a non-Jew so respects our religion and calls on non-Jews to rest on Shabbat, how much more so are we Jews who have the Torah, we have our tradition, and we have the precious gift called the holy Sabbath. How important it is that everyone unites around observing Shabbat, and thanks to this we will soon attain complete redemption.”