| |
LETTERS FROM NETUREI KARTA
|
Letter to Jewish News Week |
|
January 9, 2000
Letters to the Editor
Jewish Week
2266 McDonald Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11223
To the Editor:
In your recent article describing our efforts
towards Black-Jewish reconciliation Anti-Defamation
League national spokesman, Abraham Foxman described
the Neturei Karta as "pariahs of the Jewish
community for their condoning and support of the
enemies of Israel and the Jewish people. "Although
we understand the limited knowledge of Jewish
history and theology which produced this bit of
unmitigated nastiness, it is still necessary to
set the record straight. 1) Opposition to the
establishment of the state of Israel was, from
the inception of the Zionist movement until 1948,
nearly universal among Torah Jewry. Those expressing
themselves ranged from Reb Chaim Soloveichik and
the Lubavitcher Rebbe in eastern Europe (R. Sholem
Dov Ber Schneerson) to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
in Germany. After 1948 hundreds of thousands of
Jews continued this tradition of total rejection
by a principled refusal to participate in the
state and accept its many financial benefits.
Their ranks included Misnagdim such as the Brisker
and yishuv ha-yashan and Chasidm including Toldos
Aharon, Satmar and Breslav. Others following the
Agudah world view (as explained by Reb Reuven
Grozovsky in his Beyos haZman) decided to make
the best of a tragic mistake by participating
in Israeli politics in order to support Torah
interests. Thus, principled opposition to Zionism
is very far from a "pariah" viewpoint.
As to "supporting enemies of the Jewish people"
this slanderous canard almost deserves no response.
The record of love of all Jews evidenced by Neturei
Karta leaders such as Reb Amram Blau and Reb Aharon
Katzenellenbogen (of blessed memory) is well known.
It was real love delivered amidst the poverty
of Jerusalem where their ancestors had lived (incidentally,
at peace with their Arab neighbors) over the decades
long before Zionist aggression created anti-Jewish
hostilities. As should be obvious our efforts
to meet with Arab leaders (before it became politically
correct to do so) and with Minister Farrakhan
are intended to decrease anti-Jewish sentiments.
And we'd be willing, any day, to compare our results
at achieving good will to those achieved by ADL
denunciations and intimidation.
May God grant true peace among all peoples.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Dovid Weiss
|
|
|
|
