Neturei Karta

Neturi Karta (Aramaic: נתורי קרתא; lit. guards of the gate) is an anti-Zionist alliance of Orthodox anti-Zionist religious groups in Jerusalem. They are devout Jews who above all they fear that the ancient identity of the Jews as a 'chosen people' would be substituted by an Israeli national identity; they believe that the establishment of a Jewish state is contrary to the teachings of the Torah.

They support the destruction of Israel on the basis that only God can set up the Israeli state, through the Messiah. The Rabbis of Neturi Karta publicly support Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map". They also back his claim that the Zionist Jews exploit the Holocaust. They cheer for Palestinian suicide bombers and burn Israeli flags on a regular basis. Recently, one of their synagogues in New York City was burned. They claim it was a terrorist attack and a hate crime, but officials suspect it was accidental. In March, one of their Rabbis was beaten in Poland by two Polish Jews.

Links

• Neturei Karta Website

• Jewish Virtual Library