Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: Carmel forest fire as God's punishment of Israel

And this, from the leader of one of Israel's most influential political - and religious - leaders.

 Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual leader of Shas, a powerful religious party in Israel's coalition government, said there was little doubt that the fire was sent by God to punish his chosen people for their waywardness.In his weekly sermon, the rabbi quoted a section from the Talmud, a central Jewish religious text, which proclaimed that "the fire only exists in a place where the Sabbath is desecrated".

Of course, the leader of Hamas was not to be outdone in attributing the fire to Divine retribution.