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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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