Page "Ovadia Yosef" Paragraph 23

Rabbi Binyamin Lau disagrees with both of the preceding interpretations.

According to Lau, Yosef claims that all Sephardic Jews accepted the rulings of Karo as binding in the Diaspora, but over time deviated from them.

Presently, upon their return to the Land of Israel where Karo is the Mara D ' atra, they should return to adhering to his rulings.

Thus, Lau believes that Yosef directs his rulings only at Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, since the Ashkenazi Jews never accepted upon themselves the rulings of Karo.

Lau views Yosef as operating on two fronts: the first against the Ashkenzi leadership which seeks to apply Ashkenazi rulings and customs to the Sephardim, and the second against the Sephardic and Mizrahi communities themselves, in demanding that they unite under the rulings of Karo.