The extreme anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews of Neturei Karta, who believe that the Jews were originally driven into exile for their sins, and only God – rather than Theodor Herzl – can return them, have a history of stirring things up in a serious way. Recent stunts include a prayer vigil for the dying Yasser Arafat outside his Paris hospital, a letter of congratulations to Hamas on their recent triumph in the Palestinian elections, and now, interviews on Iranian TV (clip 1060).
From Al-Alam TV, March 5:
Neturei Karta spokesman Rabbi Dovid Weiss: The issue of the Holocaust has to do with the Zionist use… The Zionists are using this issue. We, the Jews who were killed in the Holocaust, do not use the Holocaust as a tool for promoting our cause. […]
We reiterate that there are Jews throughout the world – hundreds of thousands of Jews – who remain loyal to the rejection of Zionism, and who say that Zionism is not Judaism but a political movement.
We want a dismantlement not only of the 1967 areas, but [of the entire Palestine], so the lands will return to Palestine, and we will live side by side.
Of course, we are forbidden to have a state. Zionism was founded by Mr. Theodor Herzl, and these people were going against God. That is why Mr. Livingstone condemned this. He was right. He is not anti-Semitic. We supported him when Sheik Al-Qaradhawi came to England. We said to him: “You did good.”
We welcome this because these people are not anti-Semites, but they oppose this illegitimate political movement called “Zionism,” which does not represent so many hundreds of thousands of Jews around the world, and maybe millions, who still believe only in Judaism, and do not accept the State of Israel.
From Jaam-e Jam1 TV, March 5:
Reporter: He [Rabbi Aharon Cohen, British Neturei Karta] took part in an international religious conference in Tehran where he expressed his anti-Zionist views. The Rabbi said Zionists are involved in almost every major crime worldwide but unfortunately claimed to be speaking for the Jewish community.
It looks like Ken’s strong anti-Zionist (but of course not anti-semitic) line is bringing him all sorts of nice new friends.
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