Interview – Rabbi Dovid Feldman: « We call for the dismantling of Israel! »
Authors : Mohamed El-Ghazi, M. Ait Amara
You expressed your support for the Security Council resolution condemning the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and in Jerusalem. Do you find this resolution sufficient to bend the Zionist entity?
Rabbi Feldman : We hope that this should be implemented, which in practical terms might mean that countries around the world place sanctions upon the Zionist state until it changes its policies. This would be a wakeup call to the Zionists to realize that they cannot just go on flaunting the moral standards of the international community while continuing to enjoy billions of dollars of military aid. We hope this will be at least a step forward toward a totally free Palestine. Of course, any complete solution would have to address all rights that were taken away, restore harmony and on top of all, be in accordance to the requirements of the Jewish religion, which says that Jews are not allowed to have their own state.
Several dozen resolutions have been adopted and none has been respected by successive Israeli governments. What could force Tel Aviv to finally respect international law?
One reason why the Zionists don’t respect international law is because they know it will not cost them. The reason is because countries that support them like America and the UK have large Jewish populations, and many of them are vocal Zionists and are very active in politics. The politicians know that in order to get elected and stay in office, they have to take the Zionist side no matter what. If we can succeed in convincing Jews that the state is against Judaism and is not in their best interest, and they stop supporting it and join those Jews who are already condemning the Zionists and telling the world that they do not represent all Jews, then I think American politicians will feel more free to put pressure on the Zionists to change.
Some optimists believe that the Palestinian issue is making progress at international level (UN, CPI, etc.). Do you agree?
Yes, as indicated by countless General Assembly resolutions. And this Security Council vote, in which even the United States went along at least passively, is a milestone. As time goes on, the world is become more aware of the history of Palestine, and this shows.
How do your co-religionists oppose Zionism in occupied Palestine? Are they persecuted or are they free to express themselves?
They are seriously persecuted. The most recent incident was the story in the following video : click here
In this regard also please see another recently released video in the next link and the attached docs : click here
Are the Jews calling for the disappearance of Israel, an artificial state created by the Western a lot of them ? Are they organized?
We and other anti-Zionist Jews call for the dismantlement of the State of Israel, to be replaced by a Palestinian-run state. There are many Jews who would voluntarily leave in such a situation, but I’m sure a large part of the Jewish population would want to stay on in the Holy Land no matter what government runs it. It would up to the Palestinians, as the original inhabitants of the land, to decide what the composition of their state should be, and together with the world community I am sure a peaceful solution could be worked out.
Apart from the movement of the Neturei Karta International of which you are the leader, are there other movements that militate against Zionism?
I am one of the spokesmen for my organization, not the leader. Definitely, they are many groups and organizations in the religious Jewish world community that are not just opposed to Israel, but vocal in their position. For example, True Torah Jews represents the Satmar Hasidic movement, which numbers over 200,000 members worldwide and has branches in several countries. And in general, most traditionally Orthodox Jews are opposed to Zionism and refuse to serve in the Israeli army, do not celebrate its independence day and do not fly its flag.
What influence do they have on Jewish populations who choose to live in occupied Palestine?
Our publications, speeches and educational material does reach them, and we always find positive results. We know this from the countless letters of support that have come in from Jews everywhere, including in Palestine, often asking for help locating likeminded Jews or inquiring about sources we have published.
Anti-Zionist militants claim that some Palestinian movements and anti-Zionist NGO act as an « opposition under control » and are funded by liberal Zionists. Is it true?
We don’t have any knowledge of those movements, their budgets or motivations. However, we can say that we completely agree with the idea that to stay independent, it is important not to accept funding from your enemy. We know this from the history of traditionally Orthodox communities in Palestine. Most of them were and remain opposed to Zionism, but those who accepted funding from the government were always more likely to give in on ideological issues, since they had become dependent on the money.
What is the level of authority of the Zionist lobby on American leaders? Is it as powerful as they say it is?
As I wrote above, it is true to a certain extent that politicians know that in order to get elected and stay in office, they have to satisfy the Zionists. But we feel that is slowly changing. First of all, the views of Jews are changing: among the religious our view is getting much more publicity than ever, and among the secular Jews Zionism is dying out. The older ones still support it and they are the ones running AIPAC and the like, but the younger secular Jews see the State of Israel as immoral and dangerous to Jews and non-Jews alike. Secondly, as the conflict drags on and the American public realizes that the Israelis are purposely dragging out negotiations while they build settlements, they are more likely to support tough action by an American administration. So for example, polls showed that a majority of Americans supported President Obama’s decision not to veto the Security Council resolution. One can’t just dismiss it as the action of a president who does not need votes. It is really something Americans want.
