Boro Park, brooklyn, NY MASS PROTEST AGAINST
"israeli" MILITARY SERVICE FOR orthodox jews
october 31, 2004
Sunday evening, October
31, 2004, a demonstration which drew a crowd
of thousands was held in Boro Park, Brooklyn,
NY to condemn the recent decision by Rabbi
Steinman allowing certain Orthodox Yeshiva
Students to serve in a division of the Israeli
Army. The protest was organized to coincide
with his recent visit from “Israel”.
This ruling has inflamed passions across
the Orthodox Jewish spectrum generating
harsh criticism that has attacked the decision’s
complete contradiction to fundamental Torah
law.
Contrary to the perception of many non-Jews
and even many secular and semi-practicing
Jews, the State of “Israel”
and the Zionist movement are actually considered
the antithesis of Jewish beliefs. Proponents
of Zionism have been engaged in a long futile
struggle to find ways to legitimize their
beliefs to traditional Judaism since the
movement was first conceived at the end
of the19th century. Zionism is regarded
within traditional Orthodox Jewry as being
completely contrary to the Torah and to
how it has been practiced for thousands
of years.
A similar demonstration was held in Monsey,
NY on October 24, 2004. Click
for details on that protest.
Orthodox leaders involved with the protest
have stated emphatically that Jews have
an obligation to speak out against this
matter as well as Zionism in general.