Moshe Friedman

Moshe Aryeh Friedman (Hebrew: משה אריה פרידמאן‎; born in 1972 in Brooklyn, NY, USA) currently living in Vienna, Austria is a former anti-Zionist political activist.[1] He is best known for his participation in the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust held in 2006 in Tehran, Iran. While often called by the title of "Rabbi" in the media,[2][3] his status as a rabbi has been challenged by Rabbi Yona Metzger, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel.[4] Officials of the Jewish Community of Austria say that he has not proven that he has completed the rabbinical studies required to earn the title.[5]

Contents

Anti-Zionism

Opposition to the Existence of Israel

Friedman was retrospectively opposed to the creation of the State of Israel, which he believed should not have occurred and should be reversed. While at the Teheran conference, Friedman presented a plan under which Israel would be dissolved and all Jews, and their families, would be returned to their places of birth.[6] His views were somewhat similar to those of Neturei Karta, though he was not affiliated with them. He grew up in the Satmar community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.[7] Satmar leaders have condemned the participation in the Iranian conference.[7] Friedman has since been expelled by the board of the Vienna Jewish community.[8] Friedman is aligned with the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria.[9] In May 2006, Friedman met with Atef Adwan of Hamas and an acting Palestinian Cabinet Minister in Stockholm, Sweden, where Friedman announced his goals of building a "joint coalition" between Hamas and anti-Zionist Jews, and plans to send humanitarian aid to the West Bank.

Participation in the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust

On December 11, 2006, Friedman participated in the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust a two-day symposium held in Tehran and sponsored by Iran's Foreign Ministry Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) for the purpose of subjecting the Holocaust to scholarly review. Friedman spoke at a forum hosted by the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to discuss the Holocaust, where Friedman kissed Ahmadinejad.[6][7] Following the conference in Tehran, Friedman delayed his return to Austria reportedly due to his fears that he could be prosecuted by Austrian authorities for Holocaust denial. Upon his return Austrian authorities did not indict, investigate or prosecute him and Friedman expressed no concerns regarding any legal matters.

The board of the Vienna Jewish community voted to excommunicate him, and has accused him of desecrating the Sabbath by participating in demonstrations. Friedman successfully challenged the schools expulsion in court resulting in accumulating fines assessed against the school until they allow his children to return. The board threatened to sue Friedman for the cost of his sons Bar Mitzvah celebration in Vienna. Friedman emphatically denied the allegation and stated that the board's suit was in retaliation for losing his case against them for expelling his children from school.[10]

On March 11, 2007, while on a visit to Poland, three members of the Israeli Jewish-Orthodox organization ZAKA assaulted Friedman. Their leader, Yehuda Meshi Zahav, saw Friedman in a crowd and physically attacked him, because he was angered at his participation in the Tehran conference, leaving Friedman bruised.[11] Friedman did not press charges against Zahav or the other assailants.

Views on the Holocaust

Renunciation of Anti-Zionism

Interview with Zev Brenner

On January 25, 2009, Friedman renounced his anti-Zionist activities on Zev Brenner's radio program, stating "I'm ready to renounce the title for me as the anti-Zionist chief rabbi." He further commented that "there is no such thing as Jews against Zionists." [1] During the interview, he called claims that there are hundreds of thousands of anti-Zionist Jews "complete nonsense." When asked if there are, in reality, only a handful of anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews, Friedman said, "yes, that's absolutely the case."[1]

“There are two elements of my change in position: One, the way Jews saw it, and they were deeply offended [at the Ahmadinejad debacle], and two, how far it could help Jews,” he explains. “I should have been sensitive to my Jewish brothers, and should have been in contact with Jews before I was in contact with non-Jews. I do regret attending. I do regret the way it was received. I should have taken [Jewish] feelings into consideration. I’m sure that now what I’m doing will help relieve the situation.” [1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d http://www.vosizneias.com/26722/2009/02/02/new-york-radical-right-wing-rabbi-moshe-aryeh-friedman-discusses-his-new-found-direction-in-an-exclusive-interview-with-vin/
  2. ^ Fathi, Nazila. "Israel Fading, Iran's Leader Tells Deniers Of Holocaust", The New York Times, December 13, 2006. Accessed February 27, 2008.
  3. ^ Tait, Robert. "Holocaust deniers gather in Iran for 'scientific' conference", The Guardian, December 12, 2006. Accessed February 27, 2008. "Moshe Ayre Friedman, an Austrian rabbi, argued that the figure of six million Jewish dead had come from a prophecy by Theodore Herzl, founder of modern Zionism, long before the second world war. He said recent research suggested the true figure was about one million."
  4. ^ Boycott Jews who attended Iran conference, top rabbi urges, CBC, December 14, 2006. "Metzger said. 'To deny the most sensitive issue in Jewish history, and to co-operate with the Hitler of our day? One of those men introduced himself as the chief rabbi of Austria — and he's not even a rabbi.'"
  5. ^ "Vienna Jewish community bars rabbi who attended Iran Holocaust conference", European Jewish Press, January 17, 2007. Accessed February 22, 2008. "The community also denied his status as a rabbi and executed a "Herem" or excommunication on him. While often called by the title of rabbi in the media, Friedman has never received 'smicha' or rabbinical ordination. His status as a rabbi has been challenged by Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi Yona Metzger."
  6. ^ a b Uni, Assaf. "Neturei Karta delegate to Iranian Holocaust conference: I pray for Israel's destruction 'in peaceful ways'", Haaretz, January 24, 2007. Accessed February 27, 2008. "'I had more than one meeting with his excellency, President Ahmadinejad,' Friedman said. 'The president first recognized me at the conference in Tehran and he was especially friendly. There may be only one picture in which we are photographed kissing, but in fact we kissed 20 or 30 times.'... According to Friedman, the second reason for his trip was to present an international peace plan, by which Israel would cease to exist, Jews of Polish and Eastern European origin (and their whole families) would return to their place of birth, and Jewish of Iraqi origin would return to Iraq 'the moment a functioning democracy is established there.'"
  7. ^ a b c Birkner, Gabrielle. "A Cold Reception for Jew who Embraced Iran", New York Sun, January 16, 2007. Accessed July 17, 2007. "Having become a pariah in Vienna's Jewish community, the Orthodox man photographed kissing the president of Iran is living in Brooklyn — and his presence is causing an uproar among the borough's fervently Orthodox Jews.... Mr. Friedman, who has lived in Vienna for about a decade, grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood as part of the Satmar community, a non-Zionist chasidic Jewish group. Satmar leaders have condemned the Jewish men who traveled to Iran.
  8. ^ Nessman, Ravi. "Jewish Sect Ostracized Over Iran Meeting", The Washington Post, January 27, 2007. Accessed July 18, 2007. "The Jewish community in Vienna expelled Moishe Arye Friedman, who traveled with the Tehran delegation but does not belong to Neturei Karta."
  9. ^ Austria's far rightists, ultra-Orthodox Jews join together in strange alliance, Taipei Times, June 16, 2005.
  10. ^ "Fake Rabbi: Legal action", Der Standard, August 23, 2007.
  11. ^ "Israeli admits beating rabbi for attending Holocaust conference in Iran", International Herald Tribune, March 14, 2007. Accessed July 18, 2007. "Moishe Arye Friedman, who lives in Vienna, Austria, was attacked last Friday in Lezajsk, a small town in southeastern Poland. His attackers included Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, a member of the Israeli humanitarian group ZAKA, and two others, Friedman said in a telephone interview."