Why Are We Against The Israeli Government and Its Wars

Advertisement by Central Rabbinical Congress in The New York Times, 11 February, 2001, WHY ARE WE AGAINST THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND ITS WARS?

The New York Times
Sunday, February 11, 2001

WHY ARE WE AGAINST THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND ITS WARS?
Issued By
The Central Rabbinical Congress of the U.S.A. & Canada

In the aftermath of the elections in the state of Israel it has become a commonplace that religious Jews and their parties support a candidate who was in favor of slowing down or stopping the peace process. The impression has been created that ultra-Orthodox Jewry, in accordance with traditional Torah belief are the staunchest supporters of maintaining Israel sovereignty over “territories” and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Two thousand years ago, at the time of the Temple’s destruction, the Jewish people were forbidden by the Creator (kesubos 111a) to exercise sovereignty over the Holy Land prior to the Messianic era. They were further forbidden to wage any form of war against other nations during their exile. Rather, the paradigm of Jewish existence in the diaspora is to behave in a civil, honest and grateful manner towards their hosts throughout the world’

For over two thousand years the Jewish people accepted their exile as a Divine decree. Jews never attempted a rebellion against their host nations or other peoples. There were no plans or efforts ever made to wrest the Holy Land from its rulers or inhabitants at any point in the long history of Jewish exile. The sole means employed by Jewry to end their exile, throughout the ages were prayer, penance and good deeds.

In similar fashion, during the waning days of the second Temple, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai defiled the Jewish zealots of his time and initiated surrender talks with the Romans.

This uniformity of belief and practice remained intact until about hundred years ago and the advent of Zionism, Zionist representing a tiny movement, sought the metaphysically impossible. Their stated goal was to reverse the Divine decree of exile.

Zionism, by its very nature, rejects the concept of a divinely imposed exile. In addition, it has been consistently indifferent to the sufferings and dangers to which it and its embodiment, the State of Israel, have inflicted upon Jew and Gentile.

Zionism represents a total and radical break with the beliefs and practices of the Jewish people throughout history.

Consistently, since its inception, our sages and rabbis condemned the Zionist heresy. To this day Torah true Jewry has remained loyal to the heavenly decree of exile. The literature of Orthodox Rabbinic condemnation of Zionism is vast and well known.

It is only logical that during the Israeli State’s 52 years of existence, its most passionate and consistent opponents have been traditional Torah Jews. Therefore, the ongoing suffering and trail of death unleashed upon Jews and non-Jews by the Israeli state are not the work of the faithful remnant of Torah Jews who have always denounced the state’s very existence.

Thus, ultimate heresy of Zionism, its denial of Divine providence over history was inevitable outgrowth of an overall rejection of G-d and Torah which typified the movement’s founders, The Subsequent history of this bizarre ideology has been a ceaseless record of overt anti-Torah acts. Included in this sorry record are indiscriminate and coerced autopsies, mass desecration of cemeteries, conscription of women into the army and recent efforts to lure Rabbinical seminarians into the armed forces.

Recently, much militant rhetoric has been heard from those who describe themselves “religious Zionist”. Sadly their stance is in violation of the millennial beliefs of Torah sages and masses of Jewry.

The goal of Torah Jewry is to live in quite piety and dwell peacefully with all nations and peoples. Those following this Divine agenda are not linked to any wars that are falsely depicted as Jewish wars but are, in reality, Zionist wars.

We conclude with a prayer that the Creator Himself will soon send His messiah to redeem the Earth and all mankind will forever join together in worship of Him.

Central Rabbinical Congress of the U.S.A. & Canada

Established in 1952, is a worldwide organization representing over 150 orthodox communities.