Katrina is God's punishment says Rabbi Ovadia Yosef

I wonder when Charles will condemn this relious leader for his dispacable anti-Americanism and callous disregard for Hurrican Katrinas victims?

Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said this week that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for U.S. President George W. Bush's support for Israel's disengagement from Gaza.[Note: inexplicably, he also blamed New Orleans' black residents failure to study Torah]

"It was God's retribution - God does not short-change anyone," Yosef said during his weekly sermon on Tuesday. His comments were carried yesterday on the Yedioth Ahronoth news Web site, Y-net. Shas official Tzvika Yaacobson did not deny Ovadia made the comments, but said they had been taken out of context.

"[Bush] perpetrated the expulsion [of Jews from Gaza]," Ovadia was quoted as saying. "Now everyone is mad at him. This is his punishment for what he did to Gush Katif, and everyone else who did as he told them, their time will come, too."

(hat tip Jewschool)