Neturei Karta

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Neturei Karta (Aramaic: נטורי קרתא "Guardians of the City"), is a group of Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews who reject all forms of Zionism and actively oppose the existence of the State of Israel.

They are mostly concentrated in Jerusalem, with devotees in and around New York City, Ramat Bet Shemesh near Jerusalem, the Old City of Safed, and Bnei Brak. Estimates of their membership range from 5,000 to less than 1,000. Other groups associated with Neturei Karta, can be found in London, Vienna, Antwerp, New York City, and other parts of New York state.

Other Orthodox Jewish movements, including some who oppose Zionism, have denounced Neturei Karta's activities; according to The Guardian, "[e]ven among Charedi, or ultra-Orthodox circles, the Neturei Karta are regarded as a wild fringe". ^[1] Neturei Karta claims that the mass media deliberately downplays their viewpoint and makes them out to be few in number. Their protests in America are usually attended by a few dozen people. In Israel, several hundred is typical, depending on the nature of the protest and its location. ^[2]

Neturei Karta are sometimes mistakenly confused with Satmar Hasidim, due to their similar mode of dress, and some similarities in their anti-Zionist ideology.

Contents 1 Ideology 2 Other Interpertations 3 Other groups with similar views on Zionism 4 History 4.1 1947 - 1967 4.2 1967 - present 4.3 Death of Yasser Arafat and Condemnation 4.4 Since 2005 5 External links 5.1 Links supporting Neturei Karta 5.2 Links opposing Neturei Karta 5.3 Neutral links 6 Footnotes

[edit] Ideology

Adherents of Neturei Karta stress those portions in rabbinic literature which state that the Jewish people were first sent into exile from the land of Israel for their sins. Additionally, they maintain the view - based on the Babylonian Talmud (tractate Ketubot, "Marriage Contracts" Pg. 111a) - that any form of forceful recapture of the Land of Israel is a violation of divine will. They believe that the true Commonwealth of Israel can only be reestablished with the coming of the Messiah.

Neturei Karta teaches that the exile of the Jews can end only with the arrival of the Messiah, and that human attempts to return to the Land of Israel are sinful. In Neturei Karta's view, Zionism is a presumptuous affront against God. Such beliefs have led to accusations that the group perpetuates a "ghetto mentality" in which Jews have little to no agency in determining their fate in the world.

Under the guidance of Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, Neturei Karta has endorsed Yasser Arafat, the Palestine Liberation Organization and later, the Palestinian Authority as the rightful rulers of the Land of Israel, which includes the modern-day State of Israel. Other Jewish groups have criticized this alignment, describing it as condoning or even abetting Palestinian terrorism.

Neturei Karta is not a strictly governed group. It is not a Hassidic but rather a Litvish movement without clear membership. Adherents do not view themselves as being part of a specific group, rather they view themselves as followers of an ideology - that of being guardians of the city (Jerusalem), which is the literal translation of 'Neturei Karta'.

In 2002, during Israel's Operation Defensive Shield, the Israeli military discovered numerous documents ^[3] that came from Arafat's headquarters, which demonstrated that Rabbi Moshe Hirsch was on Arafat's payroll and received payments totaling $55,000. Rabbi Hirsch's son, however, denied that any payment was accepted.^{[4] [5]}

In 2000 and in 2006, Hirsch's Neturei Karta visited Iran. During the 2006 visit, they praised Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and expressed solidarity with the Iranian position of anti-Zionism and Ahmadinejad's calls for the destruction of the Israeli state. ^[6]

[edit] Other Interpertations

Other interpertations on the said page (Babylonian Talmud (tractate Ketubot 111a^[1]), include both that the people may come back to the land but the items of the Holy Temple must remain in Babylonia until a message from God is given (Jeremia 27, 21-22) and also a belief that this debate (Ketubot 110b-111a) applied only to the Babylonian Exile, lifted later [539BC] by Koresh, ruler of the Persian empire who captured the area, and not to all exiles in general.

[edit] Other groups with similar views on Zionism

The view that the nations of the world have to be informed that Zionism and Judaism are not necessarily compatible and that they should not judge the Jewish people for the acts of the Zionists is not unique to the Neturei Karta. Few, for instance, are as vociferous in publicizing it as the late Satmar Rav, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum was. He wrote: "...because of them the nations of the world are misled into hating Jews, so one of the greatest things to do would be to selflessly proclaim to the nations of the world that the Zionists are not representatives of the Jewish people, and religious Jews have no connection with them." -Dibros Kodesh 216

[edit] History

For the most part, the members of Neturei Karta are descended from Hungarian Jews who settled in Jerusalem's Old City in the early nineteenth century, and from Lithuanian Jews who were students of the Gaon of Vilna, who had settled earlier. In the late nineteenth century, they participated in the creation of new neighborhoods outside the city walls to alleviate overcrowding in the Old City, and most are now concentrated in the neighborhood of Batei Ungarin and the larger Meah Shearim neighborhood.

At the time, they were vocal opponents to the new political ideology of Zionism that was attempting to assert Jewish sovereignty in Ottoman-controlled Palestine. They resented the new arrivals, who were predominantly secular, and claimed that Jewish redemption could only be brought about by the Jewish messiah.

Among the claims they brought for this argument was a Talmudic discussion about portions in the bible regarding a pact made between God, the Jewish people, and the nations of the world, when the Jews were sent into exile. One provision of the pact was (1) that the Jews would not rebel against the non-Jewish world that gave them sanctuary; a second was (2) that they would not immigrate en masse to the Land of Israel. In return, the legend states, the (3) gentile nations promised not to persecute the Jews too harshly.^[7] By rebelling against this pact, they argued, the Jewish People were engaging in open rebellion against God. (also see "Other Interpertations" above)

Religious-Zionists and modern Orthodox have argued that by transgressing (3), the gentiles broke their part of the pact. Others argue that the 1922 League of Nations Palestine Mandate and the 1947 UN Partition Plan awarding a Jewish homeland in the Land of Israel constitute the gentiles' permission to immigrate en masse to the Land of Israel and therefore waives their part of the pact. Furthermore, many note the Talmudic principle that Halachic laws are not derived from Aggadah, or "story" portions of the Talmud.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 1947 - 1967

The small faction of Orthodox Zionists were the most prominent representatives of Jewish religious communities when the United Nations voted to partition Palestine on November 29 - 1947. However, representatives of another Orthodox party, Agudath Israel, actually asked the General Assembly to vote against partition.

Nevertheless, Agudath Israel reevaluated its position upon the establishment of Israel and has been a participant in most governments since that time (though it still will not accept a ministerial portfolio as a result).

This switch of allegiance by Agudath Israel caused a radical shift in the ideology of Neturei Karta, which felt betrayed by their Orthodox allies.

Their opposition to Israel and Zionism became all the more extreme, especially under the leadership of Rabbi Amram Blau and his wife, a convert and former member of the French Resistance, ]. The community became more insular, while forming alliances with other sects that rejected the support given by Agudat Israel to Israel's secular government after independence. Among their allies were the large and affluent Hasidic group Satmar, under the leadership of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, formerly of Hungary and later of New York City, as well as other Hasidic groups, some in Israel and others in the Diaspora.

With their help, Neturei Karta was able to withstand paying taxes to the state that they did not recognize and conversely, to avoid obtaining any benefits from that state by revitalizing the halukka distribution of funds that characterized earlier generations. As such they became a self-contained community within Israel with few formal ties to the surrounding political infrastructure.

Some elements of their rejection make clear the depth of their opposition - most will not touch paper money or coins with pictures of Zionists on them - Einstein and Montefiore are acceptable, Herzl and Weizmann are not. They view these items as heretical, and in some cases the men make their wives use these items when their usage is unavoidable. They will not approach the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem, feeling it has been befouled by secular interests and those professing Zionism, which they see as an abomination.

[edit] 1967 - present

While many in Neturei Karta chose to simply ignore the State of Israel, this became more difficult.

Some among Neturei Karta took proactive steps to condemn Israel and bring about its eventual dismantling until the coming of the Messiah. Chief among these is Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, Neturei Karta's self-proclaimed "Foreign Minister", author of its prayer book Siddur Vilna, who served in Yasser Arafat's cabinet as Minister for Jewish Affairs.

Rabbi Hirsch and his followers maintain that a community of (Haredi) Orthodox Jews can and should be a viable minority in an Arab-controlled Palestinian state. Their main synagogue is the beis midrash 'Ohel Sarah' in the center of Meah Shearim.

Rabbi Hirsch claims that there is a striking accord between the views of Neturei Karta and those of Fatah, which was the dominant party in the Palestinian Authority until the 2006 Palestinian election: both favour a secular and non-sectarian government in Palestine. He has also sought refugee status at the UN for members and sympathisers of Neturei Karta.

In America, the Neturei Karta are led by Rabbi Moshe Ber Beck of Monsey, New York. He has courted controversy by meeting with Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan, ^[8] who has been accused of inciting anti-Semitism and of describing Judaism as a "dirty religion". After meeting with the representatives from Neturei Karta, Farrakhan indicated he would be more cautious in his choice of words in the future.^[9]

In the UK, Rabbi Yosef Goldstein testified on behalf of Abu Hamza al-Masri of the Finsbury Park Mosque, who in recordings has called for the murder of Jews and infidels. Rabbi Goldstein testified that he and Abu Hamza had a "friendly and cordial relationship."

[edit] Death of Yasser Arafat and Condemnation

After two men associated with Neturei Karta participated in a 2004 prayer vigil for Yasser Arafat outside the Percy Military Hospital in Paris, France, where he lay on his death bed, the right leaning Israeli radio station Arutz Sheva published an article claiming the group had been condemned by the 'United Orthodox Communities of New York,' a broad coalition of many diverse Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish organizations, including, but not limited to:

Anshei Sfard; Satmar; Bobov; Emunas Yisroel; Ger; Belz; Bnei Yehuda, Nitra; Vizhnitz; Munkacz; Vien; Klausenberg; Torah Vodaas; Novominsk; Torah Temimah; Chasam Sofer; Kiryas Joel - Monroe; Puppa; Young Israel of Brooklyn; Cong. Shomrei Shabbos; United Lubavitch Organizations of Crown Heights; Kamenitz; Agudath Israel 14th Avenue; United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg; Boro Park Jewish Council; Debrecin; US Friends of the Eda Haredit; Lakewood Yeshiva.

According to Arutz Sheva, the United Orthodox Communities of New York stated, in their joint press release:

Their joining in vigils and 'prayers' for the arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat [may his name be blotted out] with Jew-haters of all manner, is an outrage that we cannot ignore and will not forgive. We again demand that rabbis and community leaders of all communities ensure that members of this group are refused entry to all houses of prayer. These nefarious associates of Jewry's enemies have unfortunately again succeeded in their crazed hunger for publicity and are being depicted in local and international media — outfitted in their religious attire — bewailing the impending demise of a mass-murderer — side-by-side with Palestinian Jew-haters. The shame and embarrassment to decent religious Jews worldwide is unbearable. We repeat: this contemptible and minuscule gang of traitors to Judaism, were decades ago barred from our Synagogues and communities... We urgently request all media outlets to highlight this fact in any report on this group's actions and to clearly state that the Neturei Karta and their advocates have been excommunicated by virtually the entire spectrum of Jewry. ^[10]

This condemnation was more forcefully worded than others previously reported by Arutz Sheva. Particularly noteworthy is the allegation of a condemnation by Satmar, the largest Hasidic movement, which had earlier been allied with Neturei Karta, as there were ideological parallels in their beliefs vis à vis Zionism. Rabbi Weiss, spokesman for the New York branch of Neturei Karta, denied that the report was genuine during a question and answer session after a lecture at UC Riverside in 2005. Rav Weiss claimed he had spoken to the leaders of one of the groups mentioned and had been told he was a valid representative of the Jewish people. ^[11]

Arutz Sheva had previously reported Satmar criticism of Neturei Karta. ^[12]

Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, and what Neturei Karta described as an "impressive contingent" of other members, attended Arafat's funeral in Ramallah.

[edit] Since 2005

In October 2005, Neturei Karta leader Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss issued a statement criticizing Jewish attacks on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Weiss wrote that Ahmadinejad's statements were not "indicative of anti-Jewish sentiments", but rather, "a yearning for a better, more peaceful world", and "re-stating the beliefs and statements of Ayatollah Khomeini, who always emphasized and practiced the respect and protection of Jews and Judaism." ^[13]

In March 2006, several Neturei Karta members visited Iran where they met with Iranian statesmen, including the Vice-President, and praised Ahmadinejad for calling for the State of Israel to be "wiped from the pages of history." The spokesmen commented that they shared Ahmadinejad's aspiration for "a disintegration of the Israeli government". When asked by reporters, the group also mentioned that they were not bothered by Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial. In an interview with Iranian television reporters, Rabbi Weiss remarked, "The Zionists use the Holocaust issue to their benefit. We, Jews who perished in the Holocaust, do not use it to advance our interests. We stress that there are hundreds of thousands Jews around the world who identify with our opposition to the Zionist ideology and who feel that Zionism is not Jewish, but a political agenda...What we want is not a withdrawal to the ‘67 borders, but to everything included in it, so the country can go back to the Palestinians and we could live with them..." ^[14][15]

Neturei Karta claims it has helped improve the situation of Jews still living in Iran, and was integral to the efforts to help free thirteen Iranian Jews who were arrested in 1999, convicted of spying for Israel in May 2000, and finally released in 2001 and 2003. ^[16] A Neturei Karta delegation did visit Iran in June 2000; however the suggestion that it was key to the prisoners' release several years later cannot be verified, particularly in light of the fact that several delegation members, including Rabbi Weiss, declared on Iranian television that Israel had "tricked" the men into spying, giving credence to the government's accusation while the trial was still ongoing. ^[17] (Four of the thirteen defendants continually maintained their innocence, and several of the others' "confessions" were suspected to have been coerced. Four later recanted their confessions during trial.) ^[18] (See also Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel)

In December 2006, members of Neturei Karta are attending the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust, a controversial conference being held in Tehran, Iran that has attracted a number of high-profile Holocaust-deniers.^[19] Neturei Karta's representative upheld the reality of the Holocaust during his speech to the assembly, although he went on to say, "Zionists have given much higher figures for how many people were killed." [2] On December 14, 2006, Yona Metzger, the chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel called for those who went to Teheran to be put into 'cherem', a form of excommunication.

[edit] External links

[edit] Links supporting Neturei Karta

• Neturei Karta official home page
• Interview with Rabbis Weiss and Cohen of Neturei Karta on Iranian Television
• Declaration on ‘the Palestine issue’ by Neturei Karta of the UK
• Interview: Rabbi Beck of Neturei Karta (1991)
• Mitchell Kaidy. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. "Neturei Karta, Shunned by Media, Makes Jewish Anti-Zionism Known"
• 'The Guardians of the City', by Uriel Zimmer, about the history of Neturei Karta and Jewish anti-Zionism
• 'Full explanations from the Talmud Kesuvos 111a forbidding any Jew to go and live in Israel by force'
• Signed letter by many world famous Rebbes in support dated as far back as 1982

[edit] Links opposing Neturei Karta

• Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, PLO Agent by Daniel Pipes (Weblog) September 25, 2004
• Neturei Karta ("Jews Against Zionism") Definition (Zionism and Israel - Encyclopedic Dictionary)
• Israelnn.com: Neturei Karta "Rabbi" Received $55,000 from Arafat
• Condemnation of Neturei Karta in the Yated Neeman Litvish Haredi newspaper, without naming Neturei Karta

[edit] Neutral links

• In a state over Israel, The Guardian.
• "The unorthodox orthodox", The Guardian.
• Neturei Karta (Jewish Virtual Library)
• 'From the Language of G-d to the Language of the Devil', by Prof. Beer Chaim, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

[edit] Footnotes