ISRAEL , Judaism
AND ZIONISM Conference of Rabbi Ahron Cohen to Birmingham University ,
England,
26 February 2003 [1] Friends, It is an honor to have the opportunity to speak today.
I and my colleagues
Neturei Karta to participate in events like this because we believe to have both religious and humanitarian duty to advertise our message as much as possible. So I hope and pray that with the help of the Creator, my words and our discussions here today, may be correct and precise in their content and in their conclusions. As there has already been said, I am an orthodox jew (ie a jew trying to live their lives in complete agreement with the Jewish religion). I am engaged in the performance of ecclesiastical duties within the Jewish community and in particular are committed to educating our young people and helping them to achieve a healthy and proper conduct. E 'therefore of particular interest to me to speak you, a student body today.
I was asked to speak of Judaism and Zionism. This argument is of course tremendously important in light of the current situation in Palestine, where we have - let's say - a part of the Zionists (who are also Jewish) who want to impose a State "cult" on the head of an indigenous population, the Palestinians. A confrontation that led to bloodshed and brutality of which you can not see the end, unless there is a very radical change.
My qualifications to speak on this topic come from one of many Orthodox Jews who sympathize fully with the Palestinian cause: we protest vehemently against the terrible wrongs committed against the Palestinian people in Palestine from the unlawfulness of the Zionist regime.
The tip of those of us who are involved actively and regularly, in this case are called Neturei Karta, a term that can be translated roughly as Guardians of the Faith. We are not a party or organization apart, but the philosophy is basically representative of a significant part of Orthodox Judaism.
Let me first of all to declare categorically that Judaism and Zionism are incompatible. They are diametrically opposed.
The question must surely appear many of you who are here today as a paradox. After all, everyone knows that the Zionists are Jews and Zionism is to the benefit of Jews. The Palestinians are the enemies of the Zionists. How can it be then that I, a jew, to sympathize with the Palestinian cause?
Let me try to answer this question and return to the topic of my conference - the Judaism and Zionism - on two levels: the religion el'umanitarismo. Keep in mind that being humanitarian is also an important religious obligation.
First of all from the perspective of the Jewish religion. We need to examine some aspect of the history of jew people and their faith in fundamental control of the Almighty our destiny and what the Almighty wants from us. All of this is fixed in our religious teachings, in our Torah, and we have been taught over the generations by our great religious leaders. Compared to this, we examine the history of Zionism, as it has developed and what are its purposes.
Our religion is our total way of life. He shows us how to live a life in the service of the Almighty. Influence every aspect of our lives, from cradle to grave. What is being taught is what was revealed to us by Divine Revelation, as is described in the Bible, about three thousand and five hundred years ago, and that is when it came to light jew people. All our religious obligations, practical and philosophical, are set out in the Torah, which includes the Bible (Old Testament) and an extensive code of oral teachings that have been passed down over generations.
As mentioned, our religion is a total way of life that covers every aspect of our lives. One aspect of our religion, subject to certain conditions, is that we will be given a land, the Holy Land, now known as Palestine, in which to live and carry out various duties of our service to the Almighty.
Now, before I continue, I want to emphasize something that is really important to understand the difference between Judaism and Zionism, and namely that the concept of nationality of Orthodox Judaism is very different from the concept of nationality held by most people. Most people think that the nation is a particular people living in a specific land. The land is essential to the identity of a nation. There may be a religion how can there not be, but religion is irrelevant to the national identity. The concept of nationality of Orthodox Judaism, however, is to a specific people with a specific religion. E 'religion establishing national identity. A land we can be like us can not be, the land is irrelevant to the identity National Jewish.
This is confirmed by the fact that the Jewish nation has been without a land for 2000 years, but as long as he kept his religion has retained its identity.
Now I have said before that we were given a land, but under certain conditions. The conditions were basically that we should retain the moral, ethical and religious higher. The jew people owned the land for the first fifteen hundred years of its existence. But unfortunately the conditions were not fulfilled to the required level [Almighty] and the Jews were exiled from their land. Over the last two thousand years, the jew people remained in a state of exile decreed by the Almighty, because he had not retained the required values. This state of exile is the situation that persists to this day. It 's a fundamental part of our faith cheerfully accept the exile decreed by the Almighty and not try to fight against it, or cease to do so with our hands. Doing so would constitute a rebellion against the will of the Almighty.
In practical terms, although we have kept our Jewish identity, by virtue of our attachment to our religion, yet exiled for us means, first, that the Jews should be subjected to the countries they live in a fair and not try to govern indigenous peoples of these countries.
Secondly, it means that we can not groped to establish our own state in Palestine. This applies even if the land is not occupied, and certainly applies when, as is the case, there exists an indigenous population. This prohibition is a fundamental part of our teaching: we were made to swear not to infringe them, and we were warned of the dire consequences that would be incurred.
It follows, therefore, that the Jews today do not have the right to rule in Palestine.
Let's look at the Zionist movement. It was founded about 100 years ago, mostly by secular individuals who were abandoning their religion but retained yet what they considered the mark [of shame] to be Jews in exile. We believe that our state of exile was due to our servile attitude - the attitude of Golus (exile) - and not a divine order. They wanted to get rid of the constraints of exile and seek to establish a new form of Jewish identity. Not based on religion but based on the land. Based on a typical suction nationalist, secular, driven by emotion, similar to that of most other nations. Their policy had as its linchpin the aspiration to establish a Jewish State in Palestine. But they were forging a new kind of jew. Actually it was not absolutely a jew - was a Zionist.
The Zionist movement was the complete abandonment of our teaching and our religion - in general - and in particular the abandonment of our approach to our state of exile and our attitude towards people with whom we live.
The practical result of Zionism in the form of the state known as "Israel" is completely foreign to Judaism and the Jewish faith. The very name "Israel", which originally designated those who are known as the Children of Israel, namely the Jewish people has been usurped by the Zionists. For this reason, many Orthodox Jews refrain from referring to the Zionist state as "Israel".
The ideology of Zionism is not to rely on divine providence, but to take the law into their own hands and force the result as a state. This is completely contrary to the approach to the issue of exile that our Torah requires us to take, as we have been sent by our great religious leaders.
I have spoken from the perspective of religious faith. But look at the humanitarian point of view (which is itself a religious obligation, as I mentioned earlier). The ideology of the Zionists was, and is, to force the aspiration for a state irrespective of the cost in terms of lives and property of those that are on their way. The Palestinians were on their way. We face the fact that to achieve ill-conceived nationalistic ambition, was committed by the Zionists a shocking breach of natural justice, being an illegitimate regime in Palestine against the will of all the people residing there, the Palestinians, which inevitably breach has been based on the loss of human life on the murder and theft.
Most Orthodox Jews accept the views of the Neturei Karta to the point of disagree, in principle, the existence of the Zionist state, not "shed a tear" if that State should end. However, there is a range of opinions about how to deal with the fact that when the Zionist state exists. These views ranged from effective cooperation, pragmatic acceptance, total opposition always. The latter is the approach of the Neturei Karta. But there was another Zionist phenomenon that complicates the picture. It consists of the religious Zionists. These are people who claim to be faithful to the Jewish religion, but were influenced by the philosophy, nationalist and secular, Zionist, and have added a new dimension to Judaism - Zionism, in order to establish and expand a Jewish state in Palestine. They seek to achieve this objective with great fervor (I call it Judaism to something else). They argue that this is part of the Jewish religion. But the fact is that this is absolutely contrary to the teachings of our great religious leaders.
Moreover, from a humanitarian point of view, but their ideology was, and is, to force their aspiration irrespective of the cost in terms of lives and property of anyone in their way. The Palestinians are the ones that are on their way. What is most shocking is that all this is done in the name of religion. While in reality there is an obligation wholly contrary, part of our religion, and that is to treat all people with compassion.
To summarize. According to the Torah and the Jewish faith, the current demand of the Palestinians - and Arabs - to rule in Palestine is right and fair. The Zionist claim is wrong and criminal. Our attitude towards Israel is that the whole concept is wrong and illegal.
There is another problem, and that is what the Zionists have managed to appear as the representatives and spokespeople of all Jews and so, by their actions, arousing hostility against Jews. Those who harbor such hostility are accused of anti-Semitism. But what must be made abundantly clear is that Zionism is not Judaism. The Zionists can not speak on behalf of the Jews. The Zionists may have been born as Jews, but also be jew requires adherence to the faith and the Jewish religion. So what becomes very clear is that opposition to Zionism and its crimes does not mean hatred of Jews ol '"anti-Semitism." On the contrary, Zionism itself and its actions are the biggest threat to Jews and Judaism.
The struggle between Arabs and Jews in Palestine only began when the first Zionist pioneers came to Palestine with the express purpose of forming a State over the head of the indigenous Arab population. This struggle has continued until today, and has cost and continues to cost thousands and thousands of lives. The oppression, violence and killings in Palestine are a tragedy not only for Palestinians but also for the people jew. It is part of the dire consequences that had been announced if we had violated our religious obligation not to rebel against our exile.
would like to add that the relationship between Muslims and Jews goes back to ancient history. Most were friendly and mutually beneficial relations. Historically, it happened frequently when Jews were persecuted in Europe found refuge in various Muslim countries. Our attaggiamento towards Muslims and Arabs can only be friendship and respect.
I would end up with the following words. We want to tell the world, especially to our Muslim neighbors, there is no hatred or hostility between the Muslim and the jew. We want to live together as friends and neighbors, as we did for most of the time during the hundreds and even thousands of years in all Arab countries. E 'was only the advent of the Zionists and Zionism, which has overturned this longstanding relationship.
consider the Palestinians as the people who have the right to rule in Palestine.
Conoco as the Zionist state "Israel" is a regime that has no right to exist. Its continued existence is the cause of background of the conflict in Palestine.
pray for a solution to the terrible and tragic dead today. We hope that this solution
made on the basis of moral pressure, and economic policies imposed by countries around the world.
We pray for the end of bloodshed and end the suffering of all innocent people - both Jews and non-Jews - the world.
We are waiting for the repeal of the Zionism and the dismantling of the Zionist regime, which will end the suffering of the Palestinian people. Willingly accept the oppportunità to live in peace in the Holy Land under a government that is fully compliant with the wishes and aspirations of the Palestinian people.
that we may soon merit the time when all mankind will live with each other in peace.
[1] Translated by Andrea Carancini. The original text is available at:
http://www.nkusa.org/activities/speeches/bham022603.cfm 
OF LAWRENCE DAVIDSON 
of Peter Ancona 