Opposing the Jewish state from within
In the complex and often divisive landscape of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there exists a small but highly controversial group of Jews who have taken an extreme stance against the very existence of the State of Israel. This sect, known as the Neturei Karta, Aramaic for "guardians of the city," has gained an outsized reputation due to its radical beliefs and actions, which have often put them at odds with the broader Jewish community.
The Neturei Karta's staunch opposition to Zionism and their advocacy for the dismantling of the world's only Jewish state have left many in the Jewish community and beyond outraged and perplexed. What could possibly drive a Jewish group, especially an ultra-religious one, to take such an extreme position against their own people's self-determination, even going as far as to endorse antisemitic groups and undermine the safety and security of the Jewish community?
The roots of religious antizionism
To understand the Neturei Karta's ideology, we must delve into the historical and theological context of the relationship between Judaism and Zionism. While the early Zionist leaders were mostly secular and focused on the practical realities of building a state, many devout Jews wrestled with the theological issues surrounding the establishment of a modern Jewish state.
Religious Zionists saw the creation of the State of Israel as the first miraculous step in the coming of the Messianic era, a fulfillment of the Jewish people's long-held desire to return to their ancestral homeland. However, religious antizionists, like the Neturei Karta, believed that the Zionists had overstepped their bounds, taking "God's job" and building a secular state instead of a theocracy governed by Jewish law.
The three oaths: A theological barrier to Zionism
At the heart of the Neturei Karta's opposition to Zionism is an obscure discussion in the Talmud regarding the "three oaths" that govern the Jewish people's relationship with God. While many Jews consider these oaths symbolic, the Neturei Karta see them as a religiously binding contract.
First, Jews are forbidden to return to their homeland en masse while in exile. Second, Jews are forbidden to rebel against the governments of the countries where they live. Third, the world's nations are forbidden to persecute Jews too harshly.
In the Neturei Karta's view, the establishment of the modern State of Israel and the mass immigration of Jews to their ancestral homeland violated the first two oaths, and they believe that this violation has led God to nullify the third oath via the Holocaust. Essentially, this fringe group believes that the murder of six million of their people was a divine punishment for Israeli statehood.
The Neturei Karta's extremist alliances
The Neturei Karta's rigid and uncompromising ideology has led them to form alliances with some of the most extreme and antisemitic groups in the world. In the 1930s, during the Arab Riots in Palestine, the Neturei Karta refused to cooperate with the Zionist paramilitaries like Hagganah, even as hundreds of Jews were being murdered. This hardline stance ultimately led to the formation of the Neturei Karta as a splinter group in 1938.
After the 1948 War of Independence, Leib Weisfish, a leader of the group, crossed into the enemy territory of Jordan to petition for weapons to fight Zionists. He was unsuccessful but set a dangerous precedent. The Neturei Karta has partnered with Israel's enemies ever since.
Over the years, the Neturei Karta have continued to align themselves with Israel's enemies, including the PLO leader Yassar Arafat, Hezbollah, Hamas, and even former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has openly called for the violent destruction of the Jewish state.
Weaponizing Judaism for nefarious purposes
The Neturei Karta's actions are not just misguided, but actively harmful to the Jewish community and the cause of peace in the region. By aligning themselves with groups that openly call for the destruction of Israel and the targeting of Jewish civilians, the Neturei Karta are effectively selling out their fellow Jews and becoming "token Jews" by providing convenient cover for the most extreme and antisemitic elements to claim that they are not antisemitic, but merely antizionist.
This tactic of "weaponizing" their Jewish identity and appearance to lend credibility to their cause is a clever but deeply troubling strategy. It allows the Neturei Karta to present themselves as the "real" representatives of the Jewish people, even as they undermine the safety and security of the Jewish community as a whole.
Confronting the Neturei Karta's influence
The Jewish community and others must confront the Neturei Karta's dangerous influence and ideology head-on. While theological disagreement is a long-standing tradition in Judaism, the Neturei Karta's willingness to align themselves with Israel's most ardent enemies is a line that cannot be crossed. The wider Jewish community must make it clear that the Neturei Karta's actions and beliefs are not representative of the Jewish people.
