Top Rabbi Criticizes Religious, State of Israel
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
The story in 4 lines · by baba
- Rabbi Dov Landau criticized Religious Zionist soldiers' deaths and their rabbis' teachings.
- He suggested the State of Israel's establishment was a mistake.
- He expressed skepticism about Palestinian commitments.
- The rabbi also criticized secular Israelis and the state's secular nature.
Rabbi Dov Landau, a prominent Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox leader and head of the Slabodka yeshiva, has sharply criticized the Religious Zionist sector and the State of Israel in a private conversation recorded at his home in Bnei Brak. The recording, aired by Channel 12, reveals Landau's views on the service and sacrifice of Religious Zionist soldiers who combine Torah study with military duty.
Landau suggested that soldiers from the Religious Zionist community are dying because their rabbis are teaching them "distorted Torah." He stated, "Those who go and are killed, they are killed because we are not learning enough. One can save even more." He also claimed that some of their actions are not for the sake of saving lives but for the "honor of the state," leading to people being killed for honor.
Furthermore, Rabbi Landau questioned the very establishment of the State of Israel, suggesting that Jewish life could have existed without an independent state, even under international or Arab rule. He expressed that a UN administration or Arab governors might have been a better scenario, allowing for coexistence and economic prosperity.
Landau also commented on the current reality, acknowledging the dependence of the ultra-Orthodox public on state systems and security forces. He expressed skepticism about Palestinian commitments but hinted that past compromises might have been possible. He concluded by criticizing secular Israelis, stating they lack any connection to Judaism, and described the state itself as one of "apostasy and heresy."
