Posted on 09/07/2003 4:20:37 AM PDT by NYC GOP Chick
Edited on 05/26/2004 5:16:27 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Actually, my dad grew up with them and agrees with the person who likened them to the Taliban. In fact, he made the same observation nearly 2 years ago. Something about how if they had the organization and the violent streak, they'd be the same as the Taliban.
He told me about how they used to harass any Jews who didn't strictly practice Judaism as they see fit -- including the time they purposely blocked my grandfather's car into his garage in order to try to prevent him from driving on Succos. My grandfather was a cop and told them that he had to get his car out in order to get to work, and that if they wanted to build a Succah over the garage, to let him know so that he could move his car. Of course, they built it without letting him know, so he made them dismantle it by threatening to have the only car in Brooklyn with a Succah on it.
My family had years of personal experience, after these Satmars moved into their neighborhood.
Oh, and one thing you should know before defending them too much is that they're are virulently anti-Israel -- so much so that they've actually appeared at pro-pali rallies, like one anti-US/anti-war/anti-Israel/free mumia rally that was on C-SPAN last year, and they actually appeared at that rally and posed for pictures with islamofascists on a Saturday.
You're refrerring to the Neturei Karta, a fringe group of freaks. Satmars and other Orthodox groups have condemned them.
"It is with shame, sadness and outrage that we publicly condemn the irresponsible and dangerous actions of a small group of individuals [known generally as Neturei Karta] who have taken upon themselves to endanger the interests of the Jewish Nation, and especially our brethren in Zion, by their reprehensible actions in joining the enemies of our people at the rally held last Saturday in Washington." So begins a statement issued last week by an umbrella organization of mostly-hareidi groups in condemnation of several hareidi-appearing individuals who recently demonstrated together with Arabs against Israel.
The umbrella group, comprised of Satmar, Bobov, Belz, Vizhnitz, Munkacz, Kiryas Joel, Monroe, and other communities - many of them openly and sharply critical of Zionism - termed the PLO sympathizers "evil associates of our enemies." The statement continued,
"...their depiction in the local and international media in religious garb and prayer shawls marching arm-in-arm with Palestinian Jew-haters has besmirched the reputations of hundreds of thousands of decent Orthodox, hareidi and Hassidic Jews worldwide. Unfortunately this despicable minuscule group, who were ejected decades ago from our synagogues and communities for similar activities, do not accept or listen to the rulings of the leaders of our communities... They should under no circumstances, Heaven forbid, be associated with any recognized hareidi or Hassidic community... We hope and pray that these individuals will speedily realize the enormous damage they have caused to our communities and to the Jewish people at large with their evil undertakings, creating a major desecration of G-d's name on such a massive and unprecedented scale and repent for this terrible sin. Until that time they will continue to be unwelcome amongst Torah-observant Jews - who faithfully follow the teachings of their Rabbis - in all aspects of the private and communal lives."
Do you think the haredi ZAKA organization is anti-Israel?
Actually, the Hayseeds are some of the finest people on the planet,but don't mess with their furry hats come Saturday
Satmars need to get over it. The Messiah for some came 2000 years ago, the Messiah for others came 1500 years ago, for others, their Messiah has never come. Nevertheless, the great nation of Israel is the ONLY DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
Deal with it.
Jews have had baseless hatred to thank for 2,000 years of exile. There have been numerous fratricidal battles between Jews over the years. The Hassidic movement was attacked by the religious who hated them. The secular who attacked the religious and those who simply wanted power to elevate themselves over others.
Whatever we are, or were and no matter the bitter disputes Jews have endured between each other, we have never been anywhere as terrible as those non-Jews who led us to the slaughter. It is the baseless hatred of Jew vs. Jew that gives them power- even to this day.
As someone who was pretty much raised more secular than not, I was a child when I experienced verbal attacks from one Orthodox neighbor family. I didn't appreciate running home in tears because the sanctimonious neighbors on the corner told me that I wasn't a real Jew because my family isn't Orthodox.
I have no hatred of any other Jews, but I also won't blindly defend those who are hateful, like the Satmars -- the same ones who have to hire security guards for the synagogue during holidays, to prevent rival groups from beating the crap out of each other and from throwing prayer books at one another. They do far more harm than good to Jews everywhere.
There is no excuse for the violence you experienced. But then, there is no excused for no name tagged policemen beating the crap out of religious Jews in Israel either. No one is defending baseless hatred. It just happens to occur among Jews of all stripes, not just the Satmar.
You happened to experience this from this particular group. Religious Jews in other places experienced it from the secular also. It is this antipathy we must all overcome, or we are lost.
I *do* care very much that they are virulently anti-Israel and that they despise me because I do not practice their strict, fundamentalist, almost taliban-like strain of Judaism.
So, when are you going to the police academy, and how long after you join the NYPD do you get to join Shomrim, or is that an automatic thing?
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