Speech by Rabbi Dovid Feldman of Neturei Karta International, on March 1, 2015, in New York City, to protest Israeli Prime Minister's upcoming speech to Congress.
We are standing here two days before the Israeli Prime Minister is scheduled to speak in Congress, despite the fact that he is not welcomed by our President or by the majority of Americans, including masses of Jewish people.
He comes to Washington DC to push for war on Iran, and to insult our President.
For a war criminal, who represents a State that is in total violation of the Jewish religion, to claim to represent world Jewry and Judaism is truly outrageous.
We can still see before our eyes the cruel bloodshed that Netanyahu committed in those sad seven weeks, in July and August of last year. We still witness the decades-long occupation of Palestine, and we are pained by the ongoing uprooting of our religion by the heretical State of Israel.
According to basics of Jewish religion, the Jewish people are in exile and are commanded to be loyal to our host nations and leaders. We are to live in peace and not wage war against any nation. The prophet Jeremiah said "Seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you." The Talmud says, "Pray for the welfare of the government." Jews have conducted themselves in this way for the past two thousand years. Our sages have taught us that if we do not fulfill the requirements of exile, there will be catastrophic results.
This is why the great Jewish leaders always opposed the establishment of a Jewish state in the Holy Land. It is no wonder that the Chief Rabbi of France and the Jewish population of Denmark have denounced recent antagonistic and ridiculous statements by Bibi Netanyahu that they should leave their countries behind and emigrate to his state. And this is why masses of religious Jews in the United States are upset when he insults our President in our name.
Jewish people appreciate the United States of America for providing us the freedom to practice our religion fully. We are thankful to our government and President for this.
We clearly state that the State of Israel is NOT a Jewish state; it is a criminal State. It is a State that uproots our religion and faith, it is a regime that kills and oppresses the Palestinian people, it is a movement that exacerbates anti-Semitism and causes danger to the Jewish people.
For the past one hundred years the State of Israel has brought nothing but fighting and bloodshed to all peoples involved. But this is not enough for Netanyahu; he wants to wage a new war.
We are gathered here, people from many backgrounds, including representatives of Jewish communities, to denounce Netanyahu's speech to Congress in the name of World Jewry. As we speak, there are Jews amongst other groups protesting the AIPAC conference today in Washington DC. These groups are scheduled to protest Netanyahu's speech tomorrow at AIPAC, and his speech on Tuesday to Congress.
As loyal American citizens, we state that Bibi Netanyahu is not welcome in the United States, and as Jews, we say that Netanyahu does not speak for us. His insulting behavior towards our president is not in the name of World Jewry and his warmongering against Iran is not done on our behalf.
We pray for the speedy and peaceful dismantlement of the state of Israel. Once this occupation and crimes against the Jewish religion and against the Palestinian people will end, we hope to experience once again the beautiful peace that once existed in the Holy Land, prior to the establishment of this illegitimate State.
Ultimately, we pray that the glory of the Almighty be revealed throughout the universe, all humanity should accept his kingdom, and serve Him together in peace and harmony. Amen. |
