Rabbi Ovadia Yosef gives Turkey a "blessing":

In his weekly sermon Saturday night, Shas' spiritual leader dismissed the escalating crisis between Ankara and Jerusalem and expressed his hope that the fate of "Israel's enemies" will be similar to that of their predecessors throughout history.

The rabbi concluded the sermon, which dealt with the "Ki Teitzei" Torah portion and matters relating to Elul – the month of mercy and Selichot, with the following statement: "Turkey, Burkey, God Almighty couldn't care less about them.

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"It's all nonsense. If God lays his hands on them for one moment – they'll be made miserable in a minute. We believe in the salvation of God Almighty. We have God Almighty and we are his sons. The one who defeated Pharaoh, Egypt and Haman – will defeat all of Israel's enemies."

Every Saturday evening, Rabbi Yosef discusses halachic issues and the weekly Torah portion, often addressing current events as well – mostly without political correctness considerations.

Two of the rabbi's statements have sparked a lot of anger, and even diplomatic tensions. Last Year, ahead of Rosh Hashana, Yosef wished death on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his people, who he called "evil enemies of Israel."

The rabbi mentioned the blessing said at the Jewish New Year feast that states, "May our enemies and adversaries be destroyed," and applied it to the current situation. "Abu Mazen (Abbas) and all those evil men – may they perish from this world. May God Almighty strike them and these Palestinians."

In December, Yosef implied that the fire raging on Mount Carmel in northern Israel, which left dozens of wardens and firefighters dead, was a punishment from God for religious offenses committed by the area's residents.

The rabbi read a section from the Babylonian Talmud, which states that "the fire only exists in a place where Shabbat is desecrated." He recommended that people "study Torah, engage in good deeds, repent, observe Shabbat, and know the entire Halacha, and thanks to this God will apply a full recovery."