As Satmar Rebbe Aharon Teitelboim visits followers in Israel, the Hasidic leader offered his views on the ongoing wave of Arab terror attacks inside Israel that have claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds wounded.
Satmar, known as one of the most staunchly anti-Zionist Hasidic sects, refuses to recognize the State of Israel and calls on members living in Israel not to vote in national elections, even for haredi parties.
While noting his sympathies for victims of terror attacks, Teitelboim pointed the finger of blame at Israel, condemning "settlers" for bring “hatred and suffering” onto Jews worldwide.
“Heaven help us,” Teitelboim told followers, “we need a lot of [divine] protection in the Land of Israel every single day. The Jewish people all over the world suffer when tragedy strikes in Israel. The Jewish people prays for the peace of Jerusalem and for the people of the Children of Israel. It hurts us terribly when there are victims [of terror].”
“With that said”, he continued, “let’s speak clearly against antagonizing the world, and against all those settlers, who bring so much hatred and suffering onto the Jewish people not only here, but all over the world.”
Teitelboim also blasted the Israeli army, and Israel’s haredi political parties.
“The [religious] leaders in the Land of Israel need to reveal their positions about going to the army and what it means to go to the army. Thank God, Haredi Judaism, which doesn’t participate in elections, has no share in any of this.”