Posted to General on
Jerusalem Post
Rabbi Volpo

A group of rabbis from Israel have sent a letter to US President George W. Bush warning him that if the planned Annapolis Middle East parley is not cancelled, a disaster will befall US citizens, just as Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans after Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip in August 2005.

Israeli Rabbis Warn Bush of Disaster if Annapolis Not Canceled

Jerusalem Post
Rabbi Volpo

A group of rabbis from Israel have sent a letter to US President George W. Bush warning him that if the planned Annapolis Middle East parley is not cancelled, a disaster will befall US citizens, just as Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans after Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip in August 2005.

Among the rabbis who signed the letter were Kiryat Arba-Hebron Chief Rabbi Dov Lior, Chabad Rabbi Meir Druckman of Kiryat Motzkin, and Rabbi Dov Volpo.

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49 Comments

  • Concerned

    Is this the Rebbe’s approach to situations such as this????
    What a Chilul Hashem — at least the President doesn’t read his mail.

  • everyoneisachossid

    I think that the Rabbonim should get together and make a public statement saying that any discussion to surrender any part of eretz yisroel is not valid and is not agreed upon by the majority of Jews and that politicians do not have the authority to give away our birthright heritage.

  • PLUNKIT

    HOW IS IT A CHILLUL HASHEM? SO THEN WE’LL GET BLAMED CUZ "WHY DIDN’T YOU WARN US?"

  • Need to keep this one private

    "Dov Wolfa" should read Sholom Dov(Ber) Volpo. And sadly, this is his MO all the way. He takes the right stand, or at least a truly principled and not always popular stand, on an issue, which is admirable. Unfortunately, he then becomes so obsessed with it as to make a total fool of himself and to bring others down with him especially as he eventually ends up going against everything the Rebbe and Chabad stand for.

    This letter is nonsense, but it is dangerous nonsense.

  • elchonon

    Concerned,
    When did you become a expert on the rebbe’s approach to shlaimus haaretz ? May I dare suggest you open up "karaasi v’ein oneh" to see the rebbe’s approach..

    The rebbe warned against even discusing these things! The securty situation here in eretz yisrael is alot worse than it was 20 years ago.. the arabs no longer fear us..

  • levi

    it is time that who ever has a heart for the land of israel will gather weaopons and make reolution there must be a civil war topple the goverment

  • Not concerned

    To concerned:
    Not necessarily is it a chillul hashem and besides the point it’s pikuach nefesh, it’s a matter of life and death!!!!

  • REVOKE THEIR SEMICHA

    Are they out of their minds??? So if Katrina was for the Gaza disengagement then what will these "rabbis" say the holocaust was for? I cannot believe the ignorance. IT IS NOT FOR US TO DECIDE OR GIVE REASONS WHY INNOCENT PEOPLE DIE HORRIBLE DEATHS ANYWHERE!!! ENOUGH WITH PLAYING G-D!

  • Yaakov Cohen

    It is great that someone finally spoke out harshly. The "mainstream" chabad leaders just dont want to offend their big liberal doners.

  • question to Concerned

    so what is the Rebbe’s approach? to put Tefilin on Olmert and get your picture taken with him while he abandons the heartland of the Holy Land and puts millions of Jews in danger?

    if you are so concerned, and disagree with this approach, are you busy 24/6 doing Mivtza Tefilin? or do you just knock what others are doing?

  • Choni Davidowitz

    "To concerned"
    Your comment proves the dis-unity of Chabad on major issues.
    Of course the Rebbe would of approved of the action. He would have led these brave Rabbis.
    I suggest you study the Rebbe’s opinions and strong stand regarding the relinquishing of even one step of land in Eretz Yisrael.

  • DAJMT

    Does It Make Any Sense To Blame Katrina On The Disengagement? What Did The People In New Orleans Do Wrong?

  • boruch ben tzvi A H Kohaine Hoffinger

    B"H
    To ‘Concerned’: Chilul Hashem?
    To try to protect someone is a Chilul Hashem?
    They say it because they believe what happened in New Orleans was retribution for the US’s actions re: Gaza.
    The moment, I read, that the gates of Gaza were closed to Jews, hurricane Katrina struck.
    Did you ask the rabbis their reason before you were ‘melamed chov’ on them?
    You’re probably doing a bigger avera than you claim they are!
    Then again, we’re blind to our own faults.
    The Rebbe, MH"M wanted to make leaders, not followers.
    I suppose you chose the latter.
    That’s probably why you didn’t publicize your name. Shame on you!

  • CC Bilo

    what is this a threat or do they have a reason for what they are saying (more info needed)

  • surprised

    definitaley not the rebbe’s aproach
    i am surprised a chabad rabbi was involved

  • avrumie

    is this a threat?! these rabbis don’t have super powers!!!!! RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!

  • Sam

    Why is everyone attacking ‘concerned’? The way it was put sounds like these rabbis are threatening Bush which does make it a chilul hashem. Even if it is pikuach nefesh, to say that katrina was because of gush katif is a chilul hashem in itself. To think that respected Rabbis in Eretz Yisrael would do such a thing is embarassing

  • someone

    Rabbi’s and shluchim should not mix into politics. Teaching and spredaing yiddishkeit ought to be their job.

  • ..............

    TO DJAMT:

    where the katrina was, new orleans, one of the high rank ppl. in isreal I think it was Rice, she’s from new orleans. and she was one of the ppl. pushing it (Gush Katif) to happen. so yea!

  • elchonon

    Someone,
    I am at loss for words here… You seem to be 100% COMPLETELY ignorant of thousands upon thousands of sichot and letters of the rebbe..

    See the rebbe’s letter to Rabbi jacobovitz for starters "my position is not political, only pikuach nefesh"

    I am not sure what bubble you are in but these dangers are ALIVE AND WELL!

    Not a day goes by that we here in chevron do not get attacked…

    Lets see… Thursday a arab gets arrested by mearat hamachpela with 1 gun and 2 knifes about to commit a suicide attack killing jews.. shabbos a arab was arrested by mearas hamachpela with a knife..

    They throw rocks at us, they attempt to attack us until someone draws a gun..

    This is NOT politics, this sadly is where you and misguided shluchim err as chabad remains silent.

    More than tefillin or anything else the rebbe screamed for shlaimus haaretz and pikuach nefesh.. YES by spreading yidishkeit we help.. but we have to act.

    Regardless about such warnings and threats… I see NO other warnings by chabad’s "leadership"

    Please next time the world "politics" enters your mind, take a walk down the streets here and see the memorials for all the "political" karbanot sacrificed.

  • come on

    its wrong to say examples but someone has to do something
    imagine a family of a katrina reads this they will fell disgisted by these rabbis
    but something more than a letter has to happen

  • Anti- netora carta-s

    What do you think our nevi’im did in the past?- you don’t listen then…
    What did Moshe do in mitzrayim with Paroh?- you don’t listen then…
    tThis is what was done in our History in our holy Torah, and guess what, the Rebbe also warned about not giving away E’y. Somebody plese help me why is this a chillul HaShem ??????
    Yes if they c’v give away land then HaShem will definitely show the world that this is the wrong thing to do!!!!!

  • I hope katrina stays away from me

    Great! I am sure now that those rabbis sent a letter and a threat, it will make a smidgen of a difference. I hope Katrina doesn’t hit where I am.

  • ask

    Did the Rebbe threaten that things would happen after the Camp David accords with Begin? Did anything happen in the US after land was given away then? They should have put a letter in the igros first and ask the Rebbe for a bracha for their actions.

  • stop talking from your ........

    its just sad that 95% of the comments are made by people who have no idea what is going on. Stop coming to conclusions before you even know everything thats going on.

  • Shalom here and Shalom there

    which lubavitcher rav or was it a Rebbe that put a curse on the Joe Kennedy?

    and did it have to do with being really unhelpful, to say it nicely, to Jews during the holocaust?

    The situation in Israel needs to be addressed. Its a matter of pikuach nefesh!

    if you dont like how its being addressed, then find another concrete way to address it, and please share it with us.

    I have an idea! how about speaking respectfully to and about other Jews.

    Lets learn from Rabbi Akivahs students, how we should treat each other with respect.

    We dont have to agree with each other but treat each other and speak to and about (although its better not to speak about others at all) with RESPECT.

    I think that would definitly bring us one step closer to a more peaceful crown heights.

    and a more peaceful crown heights makes a more peaceful world.

    our actions here do affect our brothers and sisters in Eretz HaKodesh.

  • anonymous

    I’ve seen this published in either the Yated or Hamodia in the past. Everytime America pushes for "peace talks" natural disasters strike their country.

    ITS A FACT. Nothing new.

  • levi

    if anybody knows a little jewish history they would know that bc of these rabbis the gentiles hate our guts. why do we make such stupid comments. is he ridiculous. i know what bush is doing is wrong and we should do something about it, but to threaten that something wrong is going ot happen bc of it is retarted. its bad enough jews cant get along now we have to start telling bush how bad he is, meanwhile if he wasnt in office now israel wouldnt be israel but palestine. be happy with what u have.

  • DJMAT to ........

    Let me get this straight. You’re saying that people in new orleans died, because Condoleeza Rice, who kinda sorta was involved in the disengagement comes from their town. Do you really believe that?

  • DJMAT again

    According to wikipedia, Condoleeza was born in ALabama and moved to colorado–never lived in New Orleans.

  • logic, not volpism

    Forget about chilul hashem, what he’s saying is plain and simple UNTRUE! Where in the Torah does it say that a disaster will befall U.S. citizen if Israel gives up land?

    All those who are recommending "Karasi v’ein onah," the Rebbe said that disasters will befall Israeli, because al pi derech hateva Israel will be left unprotected if she gives away her land — not because God wreaks vegance on those who give away land. Blaming Katrina on the disengagement has no mokor at all in the rebbe’s Torah.

  • Mottel

    He sounds like an evangelical. The rebbe calle dthe US Medina shel Chesed.

    Don’t balme the US, they are only going along with what the Israelis themselves want – who’s pushing it? The israeli govt. They are the problem.

    And yes it is a HUGE Chillul Hashem

  • LET-S FACE FACTS

    38 years ago the rebbe kept on talking or should i say hocking non stop about the issue of “mi yehudi”. Every chance he got he spoke about it fiercely. The israeli government was getting very bothered by it and came to k’far chabad telling them to tell their rebbe that if he doesn’t stop they will withold all their financial assistance to all chabad mosdos. The anash there got nervous and called new york to let the rebbe know of this ominous threat. The rebbe’s answer came on the very next shabbos farbrengen. The rebbe spoke on the issue of mi yehudi for well over an hour – heatedly and concluded by saying “i know that they threatened to withold funds, but i will continue to talk and they will continue to give.

  • Disappointed

    I NEVER comment of anything, but this is so disheartening to me. As rightfully noted above, since when is it derech Lubavitch to so ignorantly and arrogantly try to come up with reasons why tragedy befalls innocent people. Is it a fair statement that the Holocaust occurred because Yidden let tznius fall by the wayside? Or, the Pogroms of Tach Ve’tat happened because Jews were talking in Shul? It insensitive and Ludicrous for us as mortals to even begin to try to conceive why the Aibishter chooses to act in certain ways. All we, as God fearing people are left to do in horrible situations is wonder and pray that our prayers will be heard and answered, not try to point the finger at someone else.

    Moshiach now!

  • Be Rational

    Picture this (chas v’shalom- may it be His will that this will never happen): Israel gives away land, and a natural disaster hits a major US city. The press gets ahold of that letter to Bush. Jews are labeled as socerers, blamed for all ensuing deaths, and we’re back at Germany 1932. Great picture, no?

    Another question: after seeing what happened to Ariel Sharon, why didn’t they send this letter to Olmert? It hits a little closer to home when you threaten a personal disaster, as opposed to a general threat to a whole country.

    Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I believe that calamity WILL fall on those involved in giving away land, but I don’t think it should be publicized to this degree. If you’re going to make threats to the president of the United States, do it on your own cheshbon- don’t drag Chabad and the Rebbe into this.

  • JUST SPECULATION

    Indeed, G-d will bring retribution
    for wrong-doing. But to speculate
    WHAT will happen and to WHO it will
    happen is, well, just speculation.

    If a Rabbi – I mean, A RABBI- wants
    to say that disaster will befall Bush
    because of Yerushalayim – well, you
    have Rabbis saying that the Holocaust
    was Divine Retribution for our sins
    (assimilation, Chillul Shabbos, etc.).
    We know that the Rebbe was against this
    way of thinking. So, Is there any difference between Holocaust speculation and any other (e.g. sorrow befalling Bush, the U.S., etc.)?

  • informed

    this is not the 1st time volpo has done things like this

    this is kaposhet entirley against the rebbes view

    obviously the rebbe was for using pollitical channels to stop giving away land but to threaten that a occcurance like katrina will happen again -implying that katrina was a punishment for the gaza disengagement- is plain ludicrous but than again so are most of the things volpo does

  • Upset

    you dont make friends by threats!!!!!! totally valid point was brought up- if you claim reasons for Hurricane Katrina, then what is the reason for the Holocaust? The CA fires? Earthquakes? Tsunamis? We mortal men do NOT HAVE God-Given prophecy…and likewise are merely makin fools out of ourselves and making a bad name for Chaabd by doing so.

  • Reckless Rabbanim

    I am shocked and horrified by these dangerous statements. More so, I am terrified of what these "Rabbanim" are still capable of saying, further insulting the faith that they so recklessly represent.

  • Moshe H

    There is a book written ny William Koenig
    The title is EYE to EYE Facing the consequences of DIVIDING ISRAEL. It is a must read. The auther shows how everytime America pushed israel to give away land something happned.

  • lubavitcher

    The Rebbe gave us the job of explaining to the world that Eretz Yisroel belongs solely to the Jewish people, and a non-Jew who takes it from a Jew is deserving of the death penalty according to the Seven Noachide Laws. Therefore, the nations need to understand that the
    turmoil in Israel is not a local problem in the Mid-East that needs to be solved by giving away land and forming a Palestinian state. That won’t solve anything; it will make things worse! Chabad Chassidim, and the shluchim especially, as well as anybody who has connections with influential leaders, must express our view. We need to explain how dangerous it is to concede parts of Israel and how this endangers the Western world. As the Kinus HaShluchim is about to begin, please shluchim, make shleimus ha’Aretz a priority at the Kinus, as part of the wars of Hashem that the Rebbe is waging. A Jew who lives in Brooklyn, London or Moscow who thinks he’s safe is
    gravely mistaken. (Taken from the latest Beis Moshiach magazine, p.19, “Yerushalaim up for sale” by Shai Gefen)

  • Yaakov C

    They are just saying what many lubavitchers think and hope for anyway. They just happened to vocalize it instead of pretending otherwise.