Middle East Information Resource
Religions/Belief Systems - Neturei Karta
The Neturei Karta is an Orthodox sect of Judaism in Israel. The sect was formed in 1935 by members of the Agudat Israel party, in protest against operations of the World Zionist Organization. Neturei Karta had 6,000 members in 1980, who live in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem and in Bene Barak in the Tel Aviv area.
They are opposed to any involvement in the Zionist movement, and they refuse to recognize Israel as a proper Jewish state. They opposed the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, because the Messiah had not yet come. They believe that a true Jewish state can only be established by the Messiah. They consider Zionism to be an atheist, even anti-Jewish political movement.
They sometimes resort to violence against those who do not observe Jewish law, such as throwing stones at cars being operated on the Sabbath. They wish to avoid confrontation with the Arab people, and blame the Zionists for the wars fought in the Middle East since Israel was established in 1948. They claim that Israel has illegally captured the Holy Land by force of arms, and that Palestine should be returned to the Palestinians.
Neturei Karta also accuses holds Zionists responsible for the many lives lost during Holocaust. According to them there were German offers in 1941 and 1942 to deport European Jews to Spain, but the Zionists prevented this. In 1993 the leader of Neturei Karta, Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, had talks with Yassir Arafat, and in July 1994 he was appointed by Palestine to deal with Jewish affairs in the occupied territories.