Israeli Rabbinic Leader Criticizes Zionism in Video Recording

A senior Israeli rabbi has sparked controversy in Israel after making comments that question the benefits of Zionism for Jewish people.

The 96-year-old rabbi, Dov Lando, made the remarks in a video recording recently released to the public. In it, he suggests that the ideology of Zionism has led to "disasters for the Jewish people and implies that they may have been better off without a state.

Lando's comments have not gone unnoticed by Israeli politicians, with elections scheduled to take place soon. The role of ultra-Orthodox parties in these elections is likely to be significant, particularly given their stance on military service.

Dov Lando is the leader of Israel's Lithuanian-style ultra-Orthodox community and heads a yeshiva in Bnei Brak. Born in Poland, he was raised in this traditional Jewish tradition before moving to Israel.

Lando holds influential positions within his community, serving as a member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the spiritual leader of Degel HaTorah party, which is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition through its alliance with United Torah Judaism.

Israeli media has released a video of Rabbi Dov Lando making critical comments about Zionism and military service. The remarks were made over a year ago but have recently come to light.

In the video, Lando is heard criticizing Zionism for causing Arabs to hate Jews, bringing physical and spiritual disasters" on the Jewish people. He suggests that living alongside Arabs without a state would be preferable, and even implies that international or Palestinian rule could have been beneficial for Jews.

Lando also targets soldiers who adhere to Religious Zionism, saying they are often killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted version of Torah. He argues that many military operations are carried out not to save lives but to maintain the state's honor.

The rabbi's comments have sparked intense criticism from Israeli politicians, including those part of an opposition alliance challenging Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The backlash against Rabbi Dov Lando's comments has grown, with leading Israeli politicians condemning his views as anti-Zionist and even anti-Semitic.

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, described Lando's statements as a manifestation of anti-Zionism, while Yair Lapid, head of Israel's opposition in the Knesset, deemed them a shameful reflection on every Jew. Naftali Bennett, former Prime Minister and leader of the Together alliance, echoed similar sentiments, calling Lando's remarks anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist, as well as detrimental to the Israeli military.

The criticism comes after Netanyahu publicly denounced Rabbi Lando's earlier comments in July, when he accused the Religious Zionism movement of inciting murder by supporting the conscription of religious seminary students into the military. This move has further strained relationships within the coalition government, with members of the anti-Netanyahu opposition bloc now calling for the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party to be excluded from any future government.

The UTJ is a key partner in Netanyahu's current administration, and some have accused him of prioritizing his own political survival over more pressing issues like Zionism and equality in military service. This criticism has been echoed by Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, who claims that Netanyahu remains silent on Lando's comments because he relies on the rabbi's party for his government to function.

Breaking with the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party would be a heavy blow for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose coalition is already struggling to stay ahead in the upcoming election on October 27.

According to recent polls, UTJ is projected to win 8 seats in parliament, which could significantly impact Netanyahu's ability to form a majority government.

The UTJ's influence has been highlighted by Ehab Jabareen, a researcher on Israeli affairs, who notes that if Netanyahu were to criticize Rabbi Lando forcefully, he would risk alienating the ultra-Orthodox community that is essential for his coalition.

This would give his opponents valuable ammunition to use against him in the election campaign, particularly among right-wing voters.