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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What is the purpose of your organization?

It is misleading to refer to Neturei Karta as an organization. Neturei Karta is the term used to describe those Orthodox Jews who have maintained the traditional Jewish opposition to Zionism.
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What is the basis of your position?

Jewry always viewed their exile as a Divine punishment for sins. Thus, exile is the result of metaphysical forces. It cannot be rectified by force, political efforts or any other this worldly means. Jews yearn for the Biblically promised redemption of the entire world to be ushered in by the Heavenly appointed Messiah. This yearning manifested itself over the centuries only in prayer, good deeds and a spirit of penitence. This is the only Divinely sanctioned methodology to end the punishment of exile. Zionism, at root, rejected this sacred view of history. Its vision was and is limited to material cause and effect. Hence, to the Zionist mind -- which has come, tragically, to dominate much of contemporary public discussion -- exile was simply the result of Jewish political weakness. Their solution was to establish political sovereignty over the Holy Land. In order to do so they agitated politically and eventually launched a military conquest in order to capture the Land. Blind to both Torah imperatives and elementary justice they disregarded that a people was already inhabiting the land. Thus, their efforts required the dispossession those who had lived there for centuries, the Palestinian people.
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What was the Orthodox reaction to Zionism?

It was overwhelmingly negative. A battle has raged between the forces of Zionism and Torah Jewry for the past century. After the founding of the state some Orthodox Jews have tried to make the best of a bad situation by working within the state to protect religious interests. Hundreds of thousands of Jews worldwide oppose this position. We stand among them. By participating in the state one implicitly recognizes its legitimacy and thus denies the reality of Divine exile and Messianic redemption.
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What is your position on the Palestinian people?

Our exilic mission is to live humbly and at peace with all nations. The Zionists have violated the terms of exile by behaving in a consistently barbaric manner towards the Palestinians. We believe that contemporary sovereignty over the Holy Land belongs to those who have lived there for centuries, the Palestinians. If they would be disposed to allow some Jewish communities to live peacefully in their midst is entirely their decision, not ours. After the coming of the Messiah questions of political "rights" will be rendered irrelevant. All men will join together in the joyous worship of their Creator.
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What is your position on the State of Israel?

We are, obviously, opposed to its very existence. In practice, we shun any participation in the state and refuse to accept its benefits, financial or other, in any form. In practice we frequently protest against the state's actions and, more importantly, its very existence. We have often joined Palestinians in protests and demonstrations. Our speakers are available to address any organizations on the subject of Zionism. We have often spoken to and visited Arab groups in America and in the Holy Land.
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What are your concerns besides anti-Zionism?

In reality all our concerns are one. As Jews throughout the centuries our sole concern is obedience to the Will of G-d as revealed in the Torah. We are, as are all Jews, concerned with any matter which touches on this mission. For example, we are very much involved in efforts to oppose the arrogant demands (often accompanied by threats) by Zionists and others that European nations surrender to them millions of dollars for "reparations" and assorted other payments. This is neither in keeping with the humility demanded of us by exile nor does it square in many cases with the actual facts. Anti-Zionism is simply another part of a G-d centered, sacred world view.

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