By Chloe Baker, Senior Opinions Editor
In the polarized political landscape of today, the old saying “two Jews, three opinions” rings truer than ever before. Jews can never seem to wholeheartedly agree on one thing. While this diversity of thought benefits our people greatly, it also poses major internal threats.
After Hamas’s murderous rampage on Oct. 7, 2023, the State of Israel and world Jewry saw a large wave of unity emerge against this clear genocidal threat. However, this new era also emboldened the extremists in our midst.
The Horseshoe Theory, which suggests that the far left and far right of the political spectrum often converge despite their ideological differences, is evident in the Jewish community with the strategic alignment between two groups: the Neturei Karta and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
The Neturei Karta is an ultra-Orthodox anti-Zionist group and JVP is a progressive, secular organization, who both share an arguably pathological opposition to Zionism.
The Neturei Karta reject Zionism and the legitimacy of Israel from an extreme religious fundamentalist approach, believing that only Moshiach can bring true redemption. They view Zionism as a secular betrayal of Judaism, and have taken other extreme stances, such as modesty campaigns, protests against mixed seating on buses and demonstrations at gay pride parades.
On the other hand, JVP, the “largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world” states that they are committed to putting an end to the “Israeli occupation” and further promote the narrative of Israel as an apartheid state. They resist Zionism because they “love Jews, Jewishness, and Judaism,” and view their role as Jews as a commitment to racial justice. While they claim to be progressive and care about minorities, in reality they simply tokenize Jews to whitewash their anti-Zionist bigotry and further encourage the rhetoric that Israel is a “colonialist state.”
The Neturei Karta and JVP both have long histories of being avid supporters of terrorism. In 2006, Neturei Karta members visited Ramallah to express their support for Hamas after their electoral win and brutal takeover of Gaza. In 2023, other members visited Jenin to meet with leaders of another terror group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), calling themselves Palestinian Jews who believe that Israel is the only impediment to reaching the kind of peace that existed before 1948. They don’t seem to remember any of the massacres of Jews perpetrated by Arabs or the widespread Arab led systemic oppression of Jews, both widespread during the periods of imperial Islamic, Ottoman and British reign.
Meanwhile, JVP routinely defends Palestinian terrorists like Ahmed Sa’adat and Rasmea Odeh, even hosting Odeh as a keynote speaker at their events. They often appropriate Jewish religious traditions to push their antisemitic genocidal aspirations.
Both of these groups openly justify and enable antisemitic behavior. This past April, anti-Zionist Jewish students affiliated with JVP and other organizations at Columbia University observed an “anti-Zionist Passover seder,” using their Jewish roots in their favor to promote anti-Israel rhetoric. Most recently, over Sukkot, anti-Zionist Jewish students affiliated with Columbia’s JVP chapter erected a “Gaza solidarity sukkah,” further exploiting their Judaism and inciting antisemitic behavior. In an op-ed written by the “Liberation Sukkah Collective,” they claim that the Hillel of Columbia and Barnard is a space “associated with genocide,” further causing division within the Jewish community, inciting more antisemitism, and alienating Jewish students who attend Hillel.
During the protests that have rocked New York City, the Neturei Karta never misses an opportunity to play the role of “token Jew.” People gather around them, relieved to see “Jewish” validation of their own vicious, anti-Jewish beliefs. The Neturei Karta make these people feel better about themselves because they showcase that “even religious Jews oppose Israel.”
Just as a horseshoe’s ends are closer to each other than the circular part in the middle, the Neturei Karta and JVP members – who sit at opposite ends of the political spectrum – have more in common than they do with the average moderate, and thus, are more like minded than they realize.
As members of Yeshiva University and pro-Israel students in the NYC area, we need to realize what a gift we have been given in our education. We have been educated to support our only homeland, and we are on the right side of history. We can disagree on Israel’s politics and current climate, but sympathizing with terrorists and calling for the state’s destruction is beyond the pale.
These groups use their Jewish identity to attack Zionists and support the mass killing of Jews. Zionism is about Jewish self-determination, and nothing else. Members of the Neturei Karta and JVP fail to examine their own biases or consider the broader implications of their stance. As moderates, we must always think critically and be willing to question the world around us. As we stand firm in our support for Zionism and the Jewish people, we must also remember to challenge and consider our own beliefs, and examine our own convictions. Only through reflection can we truly ensure we are on the right path.
The author of this article is a fellow at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle Eastern Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).
Photo Caption: The Neturei Karta with Palestinian flags near a pro-Israel rally on Oct. 10, 2023
Photo Credit: Gabriella Gomperts