Deputy Minister Ayoob Kara (Likud) caused controversy when he blamed two massive earthquakes which hit Italy on Wednesday for the country's vote in favor of a UNESCO resolution disregarding a Jewish connection to the Temple Mount.

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The deputy minister, who was in Italy when the earthquakes hit, ascribed the natural disasters to divine will.

The resolution itself sparked an outcry in Israel and among the international Jewish community since it disregarded the Jewish connection to its holy sites in Jerusalem.

Kara headed an Israeli delegation to the Vatican which was sent in an effort to shore up opposition for the resolution. Kara even managed to have a short conversation with the Pope during his visit.

Deputy Minister Ayoob Kara (Photo: Yaron Brenner)

"Going through the earthquake wasn't the most comfortable of experiences, but we trusted that the Holy See would keep us safe," Kara wrote in his memo.

"I'm sure that the earthquake happened because of the UNESCO decision, which the Pope strongly disagreed with. He even said publicly that the holy land is connected to the Nation of Israel."

After recovering from the earthquake, Kara met with the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, and tried to convince the cardinal to change the Vatican's position on the UNESCO decision.