One of Israel’s top ultra-Orthodox rabbis, Dov Lando, has become the centre of controversy in Israel after comments emerged in which he denigrated Zionism.
asserted
he → become → Zionism
In a recently released video recording, the 96-year-old rabbi is heard saying the ideology of Zionism caused the Jewish people to suffer “disasters”, and that Jewish Israelis may have been better off without a state.
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Israelis → release → state
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list → continue → Modi
The remarks have drawn rebukes from Israeli politicians weeks before landmark legislative elections, in which the role of the country’s growing ultra-Orthodox community – particularly over military service – is a major issue.
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role → draw → service
The political alignment of ultra-Orthodox parties could also prove crucial to the formation of the next government.
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alignment → prove → government
Dov Lando is a 96-year-old rabbi regarded as the leader of Israel’s Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community.
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Lando → regard → community
Born in Poland and raised in the Lithuanian-style ultra-Orthodox tradition, Lando heads a yeshiva – a traditional Jewish academy – in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak.
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Lando → bear → Brak
He is a member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, a council of senior ultra-Orthodox rabbis that offer religious guidance to the community, as well as the spiritual leader of Israel’s Degel HaTorah party.
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that → offer → party
What has Lando said about Zionism?
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Lando → say → Zionism
Earlier this week, Israeli media released a video of Lando making year-old comments that harshly criticise Zionism, military service and secular Israelis.
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that → release → Zionism
Lando, who has made similarly critical remarks before, is heard in the video saying that Zionism “caused the Arabs to hate us” and brought physical as well as spiritual “disasters” on the Jewish people.
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Arabs → make → people
“It is possible to live well with the Arabs without a state,” Lando said, adding that international or Palestinian rule would have been “the best situation” for Jews.
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rule → live → Jews
Lando went on to castigate soldiers who adhere to Religious Zionism – a strand of Orthodox Judaism that upholds Zionism – saying “they are killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted Torah.”
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rabbis → go → Torah
Many military operations, he said, are carried out “not for saving lives, but for the honour of the state”.
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he → say → state
The veteran rabbi also had harsh words for secular Israelis, who he said have “no connection to Judaism at all”.
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he → have → Judaism
He described them as having built “a state of apostasy and heresy”.
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He → describe → apostasy
Lando’s remarks have drawn fierce criticism from numerous Israeli politicians, including all major figures that have joined an opposition alliance challenging Netanyahu.
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that → draw → Netanyahu
Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party who is viewed as the opposition bloc’s most likely candidate for prime minister, said Lando’s “outrageous statements” were “the embodiment of anti-Zionism”.
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statements → view → Zionism
Yair Lapid, the head of Israel’s opposition in the Knesset, called the comments “a disgrace to every Jew”.
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Lapid → call → Jew
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who leads the Together alliance co-founded with Lapid, said Lando’s remarks are “anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist” and against the Israeli military.
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remarks → lead → military
Netanyahu has not commented on Lando’s latest reported remarks, but he publicly condemned earlier statements by the rabbi in July, when Lando accused the Religious Zionism movement of “incitement to murder” for its support for drafting religious seminary students into the military.
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Lando → comment → military
Could the controversy impact Israel’s upcoming elections?
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controversy → impact → elections
Members of the anti-Netanyahu opposition bloc have called for the UTJ, which Lando’s party is part of, to be cast out of any future government, and criticised Netanyahu for staying aligned with the group.
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party → call → group
Yair Golan, head of the Democrats party, said Netanyahu is “silent because without Rabbi Lando and his emissaries, he has no government”.
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he → say → government
Netanyahu’s “political survival is more important to him than Zionism, more than equality in service, and more than the blood of our soldiers”, Golan said.
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Golan → say → soldiers
But breaking with the UTJ would come at a huge political cost to Netanyahu, whose coalition is already in for a tough election battle on October 27 and is polling well below the 61-seat threshold needed for a majority.
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coalition → break → majority
UTJ is projected to win 8 seats in parliament, according to an October 5 poll by Israel’s Channel 12.
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UTJ → project → Channel
“If Netanyahu attacks Lando forcefully, he pays a price with the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) he needs to form a government,” said Ehab Jabareen, a researcher on Israeli affairs.
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Jabareen → attack → affairs
“If he stays silent, he hands his rivals material to tell right-wing voters that the man who speaks of Zionism and security depends on a religious leadership that doubts Zionism itself.”
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that → stay → Zionism
The Aporia
