Unpacking Jews Against Israel

While engaging with the protestors of the 2020 AIPAC Policy conference, an attendee wanted to understand why Neturei Karta Jews were anti-Israel.

It is important to first note that Neturei Karta make up .03% (5,000) of a total 15 million Jewish population around the world, and that their community is extremely sheltered, ideologically homogenous, and internally socially oppressive. If one is not a pre-approved speaker within that community they are forbidden from engaging with people who differ from their opinions or backgrounds.

The term "self-hating" is often thrown around by Jews when it comes to Neturei Karta or other Jewish individuals who turn against Israel and their own people's empowerment or aspirations. Using this term lacks the nuance and understanding of their experiences that has led them to such conclusions.

Firstly, misinformation and manipulation is a huge factor that comes into play with Jews turning against Israel. If Jews and Israel did a better job at communicating their story and narrative to the world, a lot of that misinformation and manipulation would be minimized. That being said, a psychological layer exists that causes a minority of Jews to turn against their own and side with their oppressors. The thousands of year and generations of trauma where Jews have suffered through persecutions, oppressions and exterminations at the hands of the societies they've lived in has caused some Jews to believe that suffering is a condition of being Jewish and that the only way, whether consciously or subconsciously, to survive is by siding with those that seek for Jewish disempowerment or complete destruction.

This is not a particularly Jewish phenomenon and one that Jews must unpack in order to better comprehend this minority population that is also just as Jewish as they are.

Neturei Karta Jews don't actually care about Palestinians, and side with anyone who seeks to destroy Israel or keep the Jewish population globally oppressed. They've even used their belief in the Torah and G-d as a part of their ideology. To them, Jews must be suffering since they are "supposed to be" punished by G-d and thus anything that even remotely embodies Jewish pride, strength, empowerment, or independence must be immediately eliminated. Even the Hebrew language, which although has nothing to do with the conflict and everything to do with reviving native Judean culture and breaking out of mental slavery, is a problem to their core.

Compassion, understanding, and support is what they need. It is not easy show love to those who hate, but if we understand that context of their hate, we must use light to overcome such darkness.

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Video Production: Leibman Production