Neturei Karta, So Far Right They’re Left
Jonathan Mark writes for the Jewish Week
It was 1979, right after Menachem Begin signed the peace treaty with Egypt. The Israeli prime minister and one of his closest aides, Yehuda Avner, were in a New York hotel when protesters began gathering on Park Avenue, far below Begin’s window.
Avner, who served on the staff of five prime ministers, has a memoir that will be published this spring, “The Prime Ministers — an Intimate Narrative,” in which he writes that the demonstrators that day “were disciples of the … Satmar rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, many of whose followers were associated with a zealot sect called Neturei Karta…”
Satmar, one of the largest chasidic groups, and the much smaller Neturei Karta, which split from Agudath Israel in 1938, increasingly found common cause in the postwar years, united by a feverish anti-Zionism. But the Satmar rebbe despised the new peace process even more than he despised a secular Jewish state. “If the Zionists would succeed in repressing religion,” the rebbe says, “our spiritual survival would be at stake. But if the Arabs would win, God forbid, then the danger to our physical survival would be unimaginable.”
The demonstration began peacefully enough. Begin, Avner recalled, looked out the window, saying, “Nu, nu. Thank God America is a free country where Jews can demonstrate without fear.”
In his hotel suite, Begin began taping an interview, writes Avner, but just then “the sound system below was turned up full blast, and a speaker was heard damning Begin as a Nazi. … The howl [turned] into a roar, as hundreds of far-off voices from the street below welled up yelling in unison” that God should “obliterate Begin’s name from the face of the earth.”
The Satmar rebbe, the most iconic religious anti-Zionist of his era, died that same year, and anti-Zionist unity died slowly after. Neturei Karta — without a definitive rebbe of its own — drifted away, as the rebbe’s widow, nephew and then the nephew’s two sons jockeyed for the late rebbe’s influence. Each faction was equally zealous in its anti-Zionism, but Neturei Karta’s zealotry was such that their opposition to the State of Israel led them to seek an alternative.
They grew politically closer to what is known in Israel as the Canaanites — a movement, developed on the left, that suggested the best solution was not a two-state solution but a one-state solution, in which neither Jew nor Muslim is dominant but the land is restored to an evocation of Canaan, the religiously neutral terrain of Abraham’s time.
Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, spokesman of the New York-based Neturei Karta, says he differs with many in the Jewish peace camp who say there should be a Jewish state, at all. “We say it totally is the right of the Palestinian people to choose whether they would like a Muslim county, a democratic country or whatever. We would humbly approach them,” says Rabbi Weiss, “and ask them for permission to reside among them. We are quite certain that they would give permission, if you put aside all the Zionist propaganda.”
In recent years, Rabbi Weiss, who refuses to even visit the State of Israel, has nevertheless traveled to Tehran, meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and to Gaza, where Neturei Karta was a guest of Hamas. The group has also participated in anti-Israel rallies in the past six weeks alongside radical Palestinians in Berlin, Montreal and Schenectady, N.Y., along with several other North American cities.
Outside the United Nations, at a recent demonstration against Zionism, Rabbi Weiss handed reporters his business card, upon which was embossed: “Pray for the speedy dismantlement of the state of Israel.”
It should happen “peacefully,” he adds quickly, “without any suffering.”Rabbi Weiss, 53, told us, in a telephone interview, “We’re not condoning [any Arab] violence. And we’re not condoning the violence that was perpetrated against them [the Palestinians]. What does God expect of us? To be compassionate. To feel other people’s needs and their suffering. To be humble. To be loyal citizens of the lands in which we’re residing.”
What is wrong, he asks, with meeting Hamas and Ahmadinejad? “Jews have met with everyone, in every generation, before the Zionists” decided such meetings were illegal. It was once illegal to meet with Yasir Arafat, as well, when he was Zionist public enemy No. 1, but in 1988, Menachem Rosensaft was one of five American Jews from the left who met in Sweden with Arafat and senior leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization when that was as taboo as meeting with Ahmadinejad.
On the Neturei Karta Web site, in the FAQ section, N.K. asks itself: “What is your opinion on the peace process, Oslo accords and similar efforts?” And the answer: “Any Jewish support for the suffering Palestinian people is a step in the right direction … and evidence of a moral conscience which every Jew should have.”
There’s an Arab Web page, “Sharing The Land of Canaan,” that lists Jewish or Israeli groups “speaking out for justice and human rights.” There among B’tselem, Breaking the Silence, Gush Shalom, Jewish Voices Against the Occupation, New Israel Fund, Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salam, and Rabbis for Human Rights is none other than Neturei Karta.
Rabbi Hertz Frankel, a leading principal in the Satmar school system, and a Satmar spokesman dating back to his days with Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum, has attempted to distance Satmar, which still condemns alliances with Arabs, from the linkage to Neturei Karta, a linkage that persists in the mind of most Jews in the Zionist world.
Rabbi Frankel recently wrote an article in Mishpacha, a haredi publication, in which he attacked Neturei Karta’s “alliance with anti-Semitic Muslims.” Neturei Karta, according to Rabbi Frankel, has “hijacked the holy cause of zealotry … How can anyone forget the painful images of their participation in [Iran’s] Holocaust-denial conference? They kissed and embraced Iran’s evil president, who is developing nuclear weapons with the express intent of engendering a new Holocaust.”
“Years ago,” Rabbi Frankel told The Jewish Week, “the Satmar rebbe called off a demonstration against Prime Minister [Levi] Eshkol when the rebbe found out Arabs would be there, as well. The Satmar argument against the Israeli government has nothing to do with the Muslim argument. Hamas and Iran are not just enemies of Israel, let’s not kid ourselves. They’re enemies of Jews.”
That Neturei Karta, “actually spent Shabbos in Gaza a few weeks ago,” is still shocking, says Rabbi Frankel. “Four Jews with payes, and long beards, wearing white socks and streimels on Shabbos. They came with food and medicine to help Hamas. People think this has something to do with Satmar! It has absolutely nothing to do with Satmar.”
“On every issue, there always are different approaches,” says Rabbi Weiss.
CR
These people are definitely “left”, as in atheistic left. There was a Palestine rally in my city a few years ago on Shabbos. In the news reports that evening video of the event at City Hall was played. The NK guys were there in full Bort/Payos/Shtreimel regalia, carrying their signs in the Reshus HaRabim (there can be no city Eiruv around public property like government offices and the like).
Way out of line
were disciples of the … Satmar rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, many of whose followers were associated with a zealot sect called Neturei Karta…”
Reb Yoilish ZYA roundly condemned Neturei Karta and their narrishkeit. NK include a core group of Perushim, misnagdim descended from talmidim of the Vilna Gaon. The leader who was niftar and left them in chaos was the great tzaddik Reb Amram Bloy ZYA who is turning in his kever at the way these d**kelach use the name Neturei Karta.
As always the Jewish Weak never bothers to check the facts. Their attacks on Yiddishkeit are really harmful; the clowns who go to Teheran and Gaza just need to be sent to remedial pre 1-a with some felt and plastic scissors in time to make felt dunce shtramlach for Peerim.
Furious
These men are making a chilul Hashem. and they are causing other Chasidic groups like us to be looked down upon
so confused
i just dont understand how could a group of jews just decide that Israel should belong to the arabs and they could suddenly feel bad for the arabs. i understand that they lost their great leader but that doesnt mean they need to go that nuts
i dont get it where did they get this idea from
if there leader was not like that or was he?
can someone one please explain?
These guy are not all Satmerers!
Second from right is Elchonon Kirshenbaum. He is not and was never a Satmerer. He is just a frustrated snag who learned in Mir, then in Brisk. He was attracted by the violence and the radicalism.
Ku Klux Karta
The present group is not the original Neturei Karta from Yerushalayim. They were extreme but they were not Jewish anti Semites. Few of those originals, yes, mostly Perushim and some Hungarians, are still around or they’ve blended into Toldos Aharon etc.
This band of merry “men” is the Ku Klux Karta, (or Ku Klutz Karta in Ingarish), a band of oisvorfen from kreizen that include Vizhnitz, Satmar, the rump Malochim, Chaim Berlin and even YU. They even fight among themselves in their quest for the attention they never got in cheder. These oisvorfen are just looking for attention and do not reflect on any Chassidus, yeshiva or kehilla because they have left or been thrown out of wherever they come from.
Tragidy
Its because of this group that The Jew Haters could now Try to “wipe israel off the map” without being called anti smetic.
Just like in Russia it were Jews who caused the biggest communism problems, Mesira and torture to other Yidden.
So to these Jews form the path for all the Anti Semites to fight against Israel
chesky
Those who sympathize with terrorists are terrorists themselves…pretty soon. “We jews have met with anyone…” Ya, go meet the Hitler of our generation-achmedinejad whatever his name is.
Milhouse
Please change your preface to the JW story, where you refer to NK as an “anti-Israel Chasidic group”. NK has never been a chassidic group, or had anything to do with chassidim. NK are misnagdim, daven nusach ashkenaz, and have never pretended otherwise.
Also bear in mind that we are also anti-zionists, and that there is very little difference between our attitude to zionism and that of Satmar or NK (the original NK, under R Amrom z”l, not these nutcases). The only difference is in the practical response to the fact that unfortunately the zionists succeeded in establishing their state, and now it’s a reality that we have to deal with.
Ames
they should b KILLLED FROM THE TORAH
tzfati disliker
sounds liiiiiike…………………..our very own TALIBAN! the tzfatim!
A woman
Question:
At one time, did the Rebbe state that we Jews should not be in Israel until the Moshiach arrives?
Julia Dickinson
Ignoring problems/turning a blind eye does not make them go away.In England,we have the BNP,an odious,despicable excuse for a Political Party.I am ashamed that this Party exists & that they have received validation through the European Parliament.They prey on the week,insecure & vulnerable,they should not be allowed to portray themselves on the political arene.Likewise,the actions of the NK should be thwarted at every level.Just what are they trying to acheive?I suspect they would not like the answere.
wow!
crazy ppl do crazyy things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
answer to so confused
these pp. are nebach brainwashed
Milhouse
To “A Woman”: No, the Rebbe never said such a thing, and of course nor did the Neturei Karta, who are after all by definition residents of Yerushalayim (which “karta” do you think they are the “neturei” of?).
AP
The 5th and 6th Lubavitcher Rebbes forbade Chabad Chassidim from assisting the Zionists.