Central Rabbinical Congress of the U.S.A. and Canada
85 Division Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 112111
384-6765
January 11, 1986
The central Rabbinical Congress of the USA and Canada
representing the masses of Orthodox and Hassidic Jews feels
impelled to reiterate the Torah true position it has expounded
many times in the past.
We decry the shocking statements and accompanying actions
of "religious" leaders in the state of Israel. We are
especially offended by those who use the revered title "Rabbi"
to bring shame upon the Jewish people as a whole by their
actions and polemics
As a people we have demonstrated moral principles and
greater religious tents to the world. Our tenacity in clinging
to our faith has brought us much persecution in our physical
exile. Despite this, we have always remained loyal to our
traditions.
Among the traditions upheld through the years are three
principles that pertain to our ultimate redemption by Moshiach
for which we pray daily.
1. We are bound not to create or work to attain a state in
the Holy Land before the promised redemption.
2. We are bound to accept the yoke of Diaspora, of exile,
until the redemption.
3. We are bound to live in peace and harmony among the
nations where Heavenly Providence has dispersed us.
These three principles have been followed without question
for millennia. "Religious" zionism took advantage of the
"opportunity" of the Holocaust, to manipulate and distort
these principles so as to justify their actions in midwifing
the birth of the state of Israel; there are religious Jews who
have debased and degraded their faith by worshipping the
Golden Calf of our day, the Israeli government.
This totally secular state is zionist not Jewish. Under its
constitution and governing body, every sort of violation of
Judaism is condoned and advanced. This state condones
immorality, encourages and abets the profanation of the Holy
Sabbath, allows indiscriminate abortions, forces post mortems,
countenances the desecration of ancient Jewish graves and has
the chutzpah to call itself the "Jewish" state. The
"religious" political parties of the State allow themselves to
be used to present an appearance of the approval by the Torah
their participation is used to whitewash the misdeeds of the
State and to prove that their every action is in accord with
the Torah, Heaven forbid.
Recently various ultra nationalist zionist movements have
emerged that demand permanent annexation of the West Bank. We
have witnessed a renewed parody of "religious fervor" by the
Gush Emunim, some of whose members are serving
sentences for terrorist activities. These extremists, under
the guise of religious zeal, have set up several settlements
on the West Bank. The notorious "Rabbi" Meir Kahane
has called for the expulsion of Arabs from their homes and
their deportation to other lands. A group of religious people
have established a town on the West Bank called Emanuel.
These acts have been committed in the name of the Sacred
Torah.
We cannot, we dare not remain silent.
It is our duty to denounce those who invoke the name of the
Almighty in vain. It is our holy obligation and our moral
responsibility to cal on them: Stop using these falsehoods and
heresies to justify yourselves and your misdeeds. The Jewish
faith, as transmitted by the Almighty to our forefathers has
not and will never countenance the zionist and nationalistic
doctrines of the state of Israel. These false doctrines are
compounded of atheism and anti-religious zionism, ideologies
alien to Judaism. Let them not be misrepresented to the world
as "Jewish".
Our basic desire as G-d fearing Jews is to live in peace
with our neighbors in the lands where we reside until the
final Divine redemption takes place as promised and peace and
harmony will come to all mankind. Amen.
The following explains the statement issued by the
Central Rabbinical Congress of the USA and Canada.
The true Jewish position on zionism and the state called
Israel is found in the Scriptures in the Talmud and in the
oral traditions transmitted to us by our parents and teachers.
At the outset of the Jews' exile to Babylonia, the Prophet
Jeremiah, in chapter 29 of his book proclaimed G-d's message
to all the exiled…Verse seven reads, "Seek out the welfare of
the city to which I have exiled you and pray for it to the
Almighty, for through its welfare will you have welfare." This
has been a cornerstone of Jewish "foreign policy" how to
behave in the lands of the nations throughout our ensuing
exiles till this very day.
There Jeremiah adds in the name of G-d (verses 8 and 9),
"Do not let your false prophets among you and your sorcerers
seduce you, do not head your dreamers which you cause them to
dream. For they speak falsely to you in My name. I did not
send them." This too has applied to all the would-be
misleaders of Jewry whether they presented themselves as
prophets or as sorcerers or as dreamers of national
aspirations.
King Solomon in Song of Songs thrice adjured the "daughters
of Jerusalem" not to arouse or bestir the love until it is
ready." The Talmud explains that two of the oaths are directed
at the Jews, the exiled daughters of Jerusalem, not to unit to
take the Holy Land and not to rebel against the nations. The
third oath is directed to the nations of the world no to
oppress the Jews. Throughout the seventy years of the
Babylonian exile, throughout the 200 years of the Hellenic
exile and throughout the 1917 since the destruction of G-d's
Holy House, we have steadfastly maintained our loyalty to G-d
and have not transgressed His oaths. And we have prayed for
the welfare of the cities and the countries of our host
nations that did not oppress us, and in their welfare we
indeed always found ours.
Whoever violates Jeremiah's principles or Solomon's oaths
immediately imperils the welfare of Jews locally and elsewhere
in the world.
