An influential Israeli rabbi is coming under criticism after he gave a sermon Saturday in which he prayed for all Palestinians to perish in plague. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is the founder of the Shas party, part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: “May our enemies and haters end. Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this earth. God should strike them and these Palestinians — evil haters of Israel — with a plague.”

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s comments come just days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are scheduled to begin direct talks in Washington. Palestinian Authority spokesperson Ghassan Khatib condemned the Rabbi’s remarks.

Ghassan Khatib: “The statement that we heard from Ovadia Yosef is a racist incitement statement that is responsible for increasing the hatred and deepening the racist attitude among the Israeli society.”