| Jerusalem - A leading Israeli rabbi has said that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for United States President George W Bush's support for Israel's Gaza pullout. "It was God's retribution. God does not short-change anyone," Ovadia Yosef, a former chief rabbi of Israel and the spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas group, said during his weekly sermon on Tuesday. ... Ovadia's comments drew fierce criticism in a Y-net (Israeli news site) readers forum. "This is one of the most idiotic, offensive pronouncement I've seen yet about the hurricane. It rivals the kind of idiocy we've seen from Islamic extremists," said one reader, identifying himself only as Howard. Another reader, Jennifer, wrote: "You stupid ignorant little man. How can anyone blame this disaster on politics? Go crawl back into your little hole before you do any more harm." |
Well said Jennifer. The Y-Net story with the talkback is available here.
Meanwhile...Gaza looks like it will turn into a pleasant mini-state: 'We killed Moussa Arafat since the PA took no action'
| About 100 masked gunmen stormed the heavily guarded home of Gaza's former security chief before dawn Wednesday, dragged him out in his pajamas and killed him in the street in a burst of gunfire - a brazen challenge to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas just days before Israel was to hand Gaza to Palestinian rule. Moussa Arafat, 65, was killed after a 30-minute gunbattle between the assailants and dozens of Arafat's bodyguards. The fighting with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles raged just a block from the headquarters of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service. Arafat's oldest son, Manhal, was kidnapped by the gunmen. |
He sounds like a crazed ayatollah. Im embarressed. He should be charged with hate speech.
Posted by: Anti-UN | September 07, 2005 at 16:52
I agree anti. I'm waiting to see which SA Rabbis come out and condemns Yosef.
Posted by: Jodi | September 07, 2005 at 21:29
What do we expect from Shas? I hope that Bibi will not be PM again anytime.
When Bibi was PM, he was held hostage by Shas. How can he be better PM than Sharon? If I had to choose between 2, Give me Sharon any day.
Posted by: Vaz Lube | September 08, 2005 at 09:17
Well he wouldnt be held hostage by Shas anymore. There support has dwindled.
That said, I would rather see Sharon as leader of Israel under a centrist Mapai style party than see Landau or Bibi lead is Israel under the Likud.
The Likud that I like is the Sharon part of it...Olmert etc.
Posted by: Steve | September 08, 2005 at 10:13