• January 14, 2024
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Ozlem Cosan / Interview

Haredi Jews, who are familiar to almost everyone with their long beards, black hats and curly hair that extends from both sides of the hat, are notable for their fierce opposition to the State of Israel and Zionism. Some Haredi groups see the establishment of the State of Israel as a violation of God’s promises to the Jewish people in historical and theological terms. According to this view, the Jewish people’s collective return to the Holy Land should only occur with the coming of the Messiah. These groups see the establishment of the modern State of Israel as an initiative undertaken by human initiative rather than waiting for the coming of the Messiah, and therefore do not accept it as a legitimate Jewish state.

Diriliş Postası spoke with Rabbi Yisroel David Weiss, the leader of the anti-Zionist Naturei Karta in the US. Rabbi Weiss explained in detail why Haredi groups oppose Israel, the foundations of the Haredi faith, and his view of the genocidal operation that has been ongoing in Gaza since October 7.

• Why do you oppose the state of Israel and what are the religious foundations of this stance?
  

“Judaism” and “Zionism” are diametrically opposed to each other. Judaism is a 3000-year-old religion.

Zionism is a movement that is about 130-150 years old. It is a transition, a transformation from submitting to God, obeying and protecting the laws of the Torah to nationalism.

Zionism and their whole concept contradicts Judaism in many ways. First of all, they claim to have a state because they want to protect themselves. Accordingly, Jews should have a land that they can own like an insurance policy where they can be safe and protected. However, according to our belief, we will return to God and God is everywhere in the world.

“WE SHOULD NOT HAVE A STATE”

Secondly, we as Jews have been forbidden from having a Jewish state since the destruction of the Temple 2,000 years ago. All the prophets that came after the Torah was given, the five books of Moses, continued to warn the Jews that if we were not at the level we were supposed to be, we would be exiled, and that happened 2,000 years ago. The Temples were destroyed and we were scattered all over the world. Then we were made to swear by God, as it was written in the Songs of King Solomon, the book of prophecy said that the Jews were warned by God not to go back and try to establish a Jewish sovereignty again, not to go back with a large number of people, and secondly, we were not to rebel against any nation, we were to be faithful citizens in every country. Thirdly, we were not to make any attempt to end the exile. So we are clearly warned by God, ‘Do not try to go back and establish any Jewish sovereignty.’

WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO GO BACK

Now, Zionism wants to establish a state, so they completely ignore the words of the Torah that we are forbidden to establish a Jewish sovereignty, and they oppose it. The establishment of the state of Israel has nothing to do with Godliness, Judaism or the Torah. They are a secular state that is rebellious and does not respect God’s laws. Let’s say it was going to be a very holy state, even if it was by the will of the Palestinian people, it would still be forbidden for us to establish a state. We would still oppose it because we are exiles, as God has commanded us. So we are forbidden to return and establish a state. That’s the point.

WE HAVE DEVELOPED THANKS TO MUSLIMS

Jews should show gratitude for the kindness shown to them. During the hundreds of years of our exile, when the Jews were forced to convert to Christianity by the Inquisition, it was the Muslim countries that accepted the Jews. The Jews suffered in Europe and were driven out of many lands. The Muslim countries welcomed the Jews and accepted them, and we were able to flourish as devout Jews among devout Muslims. Differences in religion were never an issue. So we should show gratitude for that.

• What is the most fundamental feature that distinguishes the Haredi faith from other groups? Some Haredis claim that the existence of Israel before the Messiah, the savior of the Jewish people, is illegitimate and argue that Jews should live under the sovereignty of the state of Palestine. Is the main reason for your belief or political stance: the idea that Israel was established early?

GOD WILL END THE EXILE

Haredi means ‘fearing God’. The state of Israel is simply an anti-God movement, a fake state, a fake Judaism, and cannot be justified. Religious Jews believe that the exile will only be ended by God and that all of humanity will come to know the one God and serve Him in harmony. Not everyone will have to be a Jew, but everyone will serve God. When the Messiah comes, he will bring the spirit of repentance; there will be no atheists. God will build the temple himself, without any human intervention. We will never take any action regarding this; we are forbidden from taking up arms or anything to seize the land. So yes, we believe that God will build the temple at the end of time, but it will never be with the concept of the state of Israel.

• Netanyahu has recently attracted attention with his efforts to legitimize the massacres against Palestine by frequently quoting the Torah. As a religious figure, what do you think about Israel’s recent attacks on Gaza and do you think these attacks are compatible with Jewish faith and teachings?

They constantly use the Star of David and other Jewish symbols to name Israel as part of this terrible Nekba, this terrible disaster. They have set up a council of chief rabbis who serve Zionist interests, all of whom are wrong and none of whom represent the Torah. We cry and suffer because of the mass murder they committed in Gaza. Using the Torah is just one of their connections to the Nekba. Using God’s name, God’s words, to tell the world that what they are doing is legal is a disaster.

• What do you think about the support that Israeli society is giving Netanyahu right now? Do you have any connections to Israel? Are you able to enter Israel on your own?

If I personally tried to go in, I would probably be arrested, but tens of thousands of people I know continue to come to the United States, and hundreds of thousands of others live there who fight against Zionism. They are anti-Zionists. And many of them don’t even register with the State of Israel because they see it as a criminal state. Others do it because if they don’t register, they can’t travel and they have serious problems, but they are against the state. So these many Jewish people in the Holy Land are completely against the State of Israel. Some of them demonstrate, many of them are beaten brutally after they demonstrate. But still, many Jews oppose the Zionists.

• Do you think people currently living in Israel generally support Netanyahu’s policies?

The very religious do not support them. The people who support them are not religious and many believe their propaganda. They are afraid, they have panic attacks; they claim that Arabs hate Jews. They claim that Arabs are anti-Semitic. The Zionists use all these fears and use these methods to control minds by reminding people of Hitler and the Nazis. That is why they can get support from many people. Many people see the settlers as religious and support them.

• When you evaluate the situation in Gaza right now, do you think Netanyahu’s political future will be better? How do you see his political future in Israel under these circumstances?

We are not politicians and we are not prophets. We cannot say exactly what will happen, but we do know that no matter who runs Israel, left or right, all forms of Zionism are forbidden. We will stand firmly against Israel.

• You’ve been witnessing and observing the protests around the world. Do you think this will affect Netanyahu’s political future?

Again, this is a political question, you don’t know how the world will turn. Of course, the majority of the world thinks he committed war crimes and did very bad things. One thing we know is that the state of Israel will end. Because by then, whether Netanyahu’s time is over or not, this state is against God. Even if Netanyahu is replaced by someone more peaceful, we will always oppose it; we will never accept the occupation.

• You define yourself as anti-Zionist. Do you think there should be a distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, and how should this distinction be determined? What is your view on every criticism of Israel being considered anti-Semitism?

Anti-Zionist does not mean anti-Semitic. On the contrary, if you support Zionism, you help to exacerbate anti-Semitism. Besides the fact that the State of Israel brutally beats and kills Jews, there is the fact that it has created anti-Semitism worldwide, and you can see it even now. The real reason for the tremendous rise of anti-Semitism worldwide is only the Zionist State of Israel. They are the real anti-Semites. How dare they accuse others of being anti-Semitic? Those who oppose them are not anti-Semitic; they are anti-occupation, anti-Zionist, anti-states that occupy other people. So the world is being deceived and oppressed with the word anti-Semitism; this is a Zionist plot, a Zionist trick, and it has nothing to do with the truth. The world must wake up to this.

THE WORLD’S INTELLIGENCE IS BEING INSULTED

• What does the death of more than 24,000 civilians mean to you in terms of the historical and ethical dimensions of this conflict?

There is really nothing to say about this. I want you to know that we have been demonstrating for 75 years. I and others like me, personally, used to demonstrate when we were children and young. Today, together with our Jewish community in Jerusalem, we always demonstrate against the occupation. But since October 7, all our communities around the world have been going to the United Nations and the White House every day to demonstrate against this terrible crime. Because the intelligence of the world is being insulted. People believe the arguments of the Zionists because the Zionists call it “anti-Semitism” and people buy what the Zionists do. If there was no Zionist state, we would live together in peace in the world. Therefore, they are the cause of these deaths. The world allows the intelligence to be insulted and therefore they buy this anti-Semitism. The world must stop this bloodshed and we cannot allow it any longer.

• How do you think Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestine will affect anti-Semitism around the world? Will it increase anti-Semitism and lead to street violence against Jewish communities in general?

Unfortunately, this is not a question, it is a fact. The whole world is clearly stating that anti-Semitism is on the rise and hatred and hostility towards Jews has increased a lot. Why? Because of the atrocities committed by the Israeli state. Going back to the rhetorical question, shouldn’t the world be saying to the Israeli state, “You are evil, you are the criminals, you are not only killing Palestinians and people in Gaza, but God forbid, you are also a danger to Jews”?

THE SILENCE OF THE WORLD IS THE DEVIL’S WORK

• As a religious leader, how do you view the ethical and humanitarian responsibilities of religious communities in the face of such events?

We don’t know why, but it must be the work of the devil that the world is silent. As I said, the world does not see that what Israel is doing is a sin against God, a crime, an injustice. The world should now know that 75 years have a meaning, but especially now with this mass killing in Gaza, it should be able to distinguish it and shout and shout; it should demand not only the UN’s decision, but also the religious communities in the world to insist in some way. We demand from the political leaders an immediate end to the killings in Gaza, and not only that, but also the end of the occupation. Because now the whole world clearly sees that this is not only a flawed, selfish, unjust, and apartheid political movement that has no right to exist.

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