Anti-Zionist rabbi Moshe Hirsch dies in Jerusalem

Yahoo - AP ^ | 05/03/10

[Borges]

JERUSALEM – Moshe Hirsch, an American-born anti-Zionist rabbi and close associate of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, has died in Jerusalem, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group said Monday. He was 86.

Hirsch was a leading figure in Neturei Karta, a tiny ultra-Orthodox sect that opposes Israel's existence as a Jewish state and has embraced its enemies. He was born in New York and attended a rabbinical academy in New Jersey.

Arafat, who died in 2004, appointed Hirsch his adviser on Jewish affairs.

The group is known for its members' 2006 trip to Iran, where they embraced the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a Holocaust-denying conference. It also supports Gaza's Hamas rulers and the Lebanese Hezbollah militants.

[dennisw]

Thanks. I guess that clears up the Kaballah issue

[Zionist Conspirator]

Rabbi Schneerson saw hundred of thousands of people in private audiences and consultations. His advice and guidance was highly valued. He gave a new one dollar bill to everyone who came for the free consult

He did this so the person who consulted him would donate the dollar to tzedaqah (charity) and get the zekhut (merit) for performing a mitzvah.

[dennisw]

Thanks much! Do you think Reb Schneerson was roughly equivalent to a Christian saint?

[Zionist Conspirator]

Thanks much! Do you think Reb Schneerson was roughly equivalent to a Christian saint?

A strange question to ask someone who regards chr*stianity as a false religion.

[Salem]

"Thanks much! Do you think Reb Schneerson was roughly equivalent to a Christian saint?"

A strange question to ask someone who regards chr*stianity as a false religion.

Do you think Reb Schneerson was roughly equivalent to a saint in that false religion chr*stianity?

How's that?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Prayers for a profoundly misguided individual.

[ChicagoHebrew]

I’ve never understood how ultra-orthodox Jews oppose the existence of Israel as a state.

The Talmud (in Ketobut 110b) contains a legend that when Israel went into exile, God imposed three oaths upon the world: (1) Jews vowed not to return to Israel en masse and with a "strong hand" (i.e., violently); (2) Jews vowed not to rebel against the nations of the world; and (3) in return, the nations vowed not to persecute Jews too harshly.

This story is one Rabbi's opinion, and is recounted as a legend, not as law. It's not picked up by the later Rabbinic codifiers, such as Maimonidies and R. Yosef Karo. But Neturei Karta and some insane Haredi sects interpret it as binding law that forbids Zionism.

Religious Zionists respond, correctly: (1) this is a dubious story from one Rabbi; (2) unlike at Sinai, neither the Jews nor the nations of the world ever accepted these "vows"; (3) even if these "vows" occurred, the nations of the world broke their vow by murdering millions of Jews, absolving the Jews of their vows; (4) the supposed "vows" only prevent a military invasion of Israel, not peaceful mass immigration -- as Zionism was; (5) the League of Nations recognized the right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel in 1922, therefore, Zionism was done with permission of the nations, not in rebellion against them. Finally, and most importantly, according to the Talmudic story these three oaths are only in effect until the appointed time has come. Given Israel's remarkable achievements, it's clear that the appointed time came with the birth of Zionism. If you want more proof, just look at what happened to most anti-Zionist Jews (who lived primarily in Poland, Lithuania and the Ukraine).

[ChicagoHebrew]

FYI . . . check out my reply at #46.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Err.. . . I meant #47.

[Jack Hydrazine]

I wasn’t aware of that legend. I’ll have to do some reading up on it. Thanks!

[wideawake]

The Neturei Karta are a pretty unique phenomenon.

The concept of self-hatred is a pretty well-established one, but they seem to be a religious form of politique du pire: i.e. the worse things get in the near term the better they will be eventually when the reaction comes.

Their position appears to be that if they do their best to destroy secular Israel and encourage the wiping out of all its secular inhabitants, the eventual result will be the establishment of a Messianic Kingdom as it should be, after all the secular Jews are killed or taught the error of their ways.

[rmlew]

Rulings of Rabbis pissing on que in front of Roman swords have no bearing or true religious merit.

[citizenredstater9271]

An anti-zionist is someone who denies the Jewish People the right to their homeland in Israel and is an antisemite.

[citizenredstater9271]

Lol!