Jewish Telegraphic Agency - New York,NY,USA

The board of the Jewish Community of Vienna voted unanimously Thursday to excommunicate a Jewish man who attended a recent Holocaust denial conference in Iran.

The move follows a criminal complaint by the community against Moishe Arye Friedman, an American living in Vienna. The community has accused Friedman of Holocaust denial and promoting Nazism in connection with the conference.

The community said in a statement that Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi, Yona Metzger, asked in December for a cherem, or excommunication, against all Jews who participated in the Tehran conference. In addition, the community said, “Friedman, who has been trying to pose as ‘chief rabbi’ of a non-existent ‘anti-Zionist Jewish community’ in charedi garb, was however seen taking part in anti-Semitic demonstrations on Shabbat, speaking into a microphone and herewith desecrating the Sabbath on various occasions.”

http://jta.org/page_view_breaking_story.asp?intid=6410

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The Chief Rabbi who has serious problems with Zionist Jewry

Fredrick Töben, 20 December 2006

Chief Rabbi Moshe Friedman, Vienna, Austria, is one member of a delegation of Jews who made it to the Tehran 'Holocaust' Conference. Collectively this group is known as Torah True Jews or Neturei Karta, and they are hated with a vengeance by those who call themselves Zionist Jews.

[When we speak about Orthodox True Jews we must not confuse them with the so-called Orthodox Zionist groups such as the Kach-Kahane, Chabed Lubavitsh, Aguda Satmar, etc. who pose a grave moral danger to the world.]

Besides creating consternation among so-called world-Jewry, mainly located in the so-called western democracies, in particular the USA, Britain, Canada and Australia, the warm embrace and private audience these men enjoyed with Iran's President Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has thrown a spanner in the works for those engaged in smearing individual Revisionists who dared attend and address the Tehran 'Holocaust' Conference.

The lack of logical argument, the lack of sophisticated thought structures that fail to embrace truth as a fundamental guiding and civilizing principle and ideal, the disregard for scientific objectivity, the fear of discussing in open forum substantial elementary matters of what is labelled 'Holocaust-Shoah' studies - all this and more is found in the mindset of the upholders of this 'Holocaust-Shoah ideology. This feverish mindset can be labelled pathological because it has abandoned reason as a guiding principle. Remember what philosopher David Hume once said about this state of affairs: Reason is the slave of gentle passion!

Instead of facing their opponents with substantive arguments, with sound and rational proofs that support their claims about the factuality and truthfulness of their 'Holocaust-Shoah' claims, these charlatans fall into the age-old trap of clamoring for public approval by adopting repressive authoritarian methods that include media ridicule and outright defamation, social and economic boycott, threats and actual initiation of legal persecution of their opponents.

This destructive hyperactivity will probably accelerate globally because the Zionist Jews, and their willing helpers, know that the presence of the Torah True Jews at the Tehran 'Holocaust' Conference has revealed a fact not well known - that world Jewry does not speak with one voice, that there are Jews who care not for the State of Israel, who care not for reparations from Germany, who care for living by the BOOK.

Chief Rabbi Friedman advises me that they do not stop at the Book only. This means he is consciously attempting to put theory into practice, i.e. not only remaining theoretical but rather transforming the lessons of the Book into deeds on a daily basis. For example, this "authentic Jewish religious community representing true Judaism, as opposed to the 'evil' Zionist regimes, which is in fact a new sect aiming to uproot the Jewish religion and Jewish faith for political power" at the expense of all humanity, is the greatest strategic threat to Zionism, much more so than Revisionism.

Torah True Jews sacrifice themselves for the oppressed peoples of the world, mainly the Palestinians and the Islamic world. Also in the past they have proven to have included the Germans and the unfair reparation claims made against them. Torah True Jews  oppose the hostile attitude the world still shows towards the German people, which the Zionist regimes and their associated governments, express mainly through the Zionist Jewish communities that clearly are the long arm of the state of Israel. This robs future German generations of having an undisturbed education without being subjected to to blackmailed related to historical events. This whole process has now culminated to the extent that the whole world is now affected with no end in sight. Welcome to the perpetual war on terrorism!

These haters of truth began to smear individual speakers who addressed the Tehran 'Holocaust' Conference - something that most Revisionists expected and therefore regarded with a sense of victory. But now the haters of truth are re-focusing away from the Revisionists and with a frenzy seek to destroy their own brethren because they are fearful of what Torah True Jews know about world history.

Just glance through this item from the Australian Jewish News and note the abusive language. Abe Foxman in the US did likewise when he commented about the conference.

As Chief Rabbi Friedman said to me:

"Es ist keine Frage, sie haben den Nerv getroffen, den Kern aller Nerven - There is no question about it, they have hit the nerve, the core of all nerves."

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AUSTRALIA'S Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis have dissociated themselves from the "poisonous" presence of members of Neturei Karta at last week's Holocaust-denial conference in Tehran. Leading Chabad identity Rabbi Joseph Gutnick said images of Neturei Karta, a small sect of ultra-Orthodox, anti-Zionist rabbis, embracing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were "horrific" and "offensive". "[It is] deplorable, abhorrent and despicable [that] people who masquerade themselves in beards and hats could associate themselves with this Hitler of our generation."

Rabbi Gutnick said he was concerned that a connection may be drawn between the Neturei Karta rabbis who attended the two-day conference in the Iranian capital and other Jews in traditional Orthodox garb in Australia. "I have a beard and wear a yarmulke. [Most] people do not know the difference between this [Neturei Karta] person in the paper or someone in Crown Heights, and me. These people [Neturei Karta rabbis] should be locked up." Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick, president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia, also distanced the Australian rabbinate from the rabbis. "People should not in any way believe this is representative of Orthodox Jewry. They're [Neturei Karta] out on their own and that's where they should stay."

In a rare public statement, the ultra-Orthodox congregation of Adass Israel Australia - which has communities in Melbourne and Sydney denounced the "nefarious and totally irresponsible handful of Jewish charlatans who attended the recent Holocaust-denial conference of Jew haters in Tehran". "We are disgusted and repelled by the treacherous and contemptible conduct of this deranged and reviled group of misfits and mechallelei Hashem [desecraters of God's name], who in their boundless and obsessive craving for publicity habitually raise their ugly heads and besmirch the reputation and honour of all observant Jews," the statement said. "Under no circumstances, should ... their garb and their calling themselves 'rabbis' deceive anyone. In fact, they are an insignificant group of unemployed parasites who represent nobody but themselves. "The Adass Israel community, which is made up of first-, second- and third-generation Holocaust survivors, cannot ignore, and will never forgive, the desecration of the memory of our kedoshim by these self-hating Jews."

But Rabbi Joseph Gutnick called on Adass' spiritual leader, Rabbi Avrohom Tzvi Beck, whose brother is reportedly associated with Neturei Karta, to personally condemn the delegation that went to Tehran. "I don't think it [the Adass statement] is sufficient under the circumstances," Rabbi Gutnick said. "The community needs the Adass spiritual leader, whom many of us deeply respect, to come out with an outright statement endorsed by himself personally." Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, a judge on the Sydney Beth Din, said Jews the world over should dismiss the Neturei Karta as a "few lunatics". "They do not reflect the view of even the most right-wing Jews in Israel," Rabbi Gutnick told the AJN by phone en route from Israel.

In calling for the rabbis' cherem, or excommunication, Israeli Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger said: "They betrayed the Jewish people and their heritage and particularly disgraced the Shoah and desecrated its memory. They tried to stain the Jewish people, who shy away from this low behaviour, with their shameful behaviour." Israel's former chief rabbi, Yisrael Meir Lau, said the Neturei Karta rabbis' actions were "insane. If it's possible that there is any Jew, who for some reason or another can support a Holocaust denier in a generation where people with numbers tattooed on their arms are still among us it's an insanity that has no justification and no explanation."

Speakers at the two-day conference included Adelaide-based Holocaust-denier Dr Frederick Töben, who upon his return to Australia faces contempt charges for flouting a 2002 Federal Court order to remove hate material from his website Australian socialite Michelle Renouf, a supporter of jailed revisionist Mr David Irving, who is reportedly on a committee to organise the next denial conference and Richard Krege, an electrical engineer for Airservices Australia in Canberra.

This week, Melbourne Child Survivors of the Holocaust president Henri Korn expressed his "anxious voice of protest" against the Tehran conference. He said the threat from Iran poses more danger to Jews and the West than the Nazis did in World War II. "Let us be warned, alarmed and ready to face the scourge of the 21st century. Let us emphasise the dangers we face, be prepared and we shall be victorious."

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-----Original Message-----
From: info@adelaideinstitute.org

Sent: Wednesday, 20 December 2006 3:22 PM
Subject: Please be advised - Tehran Fallout from 'Holocaust' Conference
Fredrick Töben - Memo from Iran:
1. Chief Rabbi Friedman, Vienna, has come to the Foreign Ministry Guest House - and he has a tale to tell about past legal persecution at the hands of Rabbi Muzikant, the Austrian Zionist Rabbi.
2. He also advises that he cannot return to Austria on account of threats made against him upon his return.
3. The above matter merges into local Iranian politics, especially concerning the recent local elections - where Jewish Iranians supported former president Rafsanjani against the current President, Dr Ahmadinejad.
4. I have been advised that prior to the 'Holocaust' conference, the Jewish leader had adopted a skeptical attitude towards things 'Holocaust' - this seems to have changed since the conference.
5. Rabbi Friedman's fears may be founded in fact because the attack on his brethren in England is continuing. Anyone who reads the following item from Australia can make a list of abusive words and just be amazed that such venom is aimed at Neturei Karta as individuals and as a group. I wonder why this is all happening now?

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Stay tuned from Tehran

Dr Töben listening to Rabbi Friedman's story

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Let's be clear: Orthodox Jews deeply pro-Zionist
Shame on pretenders who attended Tehran conference
By RABBI BARRY GELMAN, Houston Chronicle, Dec. 18, 2006, 8:25PM
 

Last week the Chronicle ran a curious and disturbing picture of a Chassidic Jew embracing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a conference of Holocaust deniers.

The picture has outraged Jews all over the world. That embrace represents a betrayal of Jewish sensitivities and a disgrace to the victims of the Holocaust. As the rabbi in the picture appears to be ultraorthodox Jews, it is important to set the record straight as to what authentic Orthodox Judaism teaches on this issue.

The rabbi belongs to a group called Neturei Karta that believes that Zionism is a heresy. They base their views on various Talmudic statements and the warped theological view that the Holocaust was a punishment from God brought about by the advent of political Zionism. In this group's view, only God can create a Jewish commonwealth in the Land of Israel. Any human attempt to do so is viewed as a lack of faith in God. Furthermore, according to their view, the fact that Israel was established, in the main, by nonobservant Jews, forever taints the Zionist endeavor. As such, they believe that the state of Israel is illegitimate and should not exist.

According to them, Israel belongs to the Palestinians. They attended the conference to show "solidarity" with an individual who shares their views.

This view is a distortion of Jewish law as well as a misrepresentation of the sentiments of the vast majority of Orthodox and Ultraorthodox Jews.

Judaism is profoundly Zionist. The Bible, Talmud and the daily prayer service are filled with references to Israel and Jerusalem. For ages, Jews living in exile have longed to return to Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people.

In order to back their claim that Zionism is heresy, the Neturei Karta quote isolated sources and interpret them in ways contrary to most rabbinic authorities. It is a basic premise of Jewish legal theory that certain statements in the Talmud are legally binding (Jewish law) while others are categorized as aggadic (nonlegal) discussions. While important, the aggadic sections are not meant to be normative. This fringe group is so alone in its view that all classic codifiers of Jewish law ignore its arguments. It is important to note this so readers are aware that this group in no way represents Orthodox Judaism.

As far as the issue of showing a lack of faith in God in creating the Jewish state, the members of this group adopt a patently anti-Jewish approach. Of course Jews have always believed that God is the author of history and that he guides the destiny of every person. This, however, is not meant to be an excuse for passivity. Judaism teaches that human exertion to improve the world is not only appropriate, but also necessary. A sick patient is not meant to believe that going to a doctor would deny God's providence. In fact, if he refuses medical attention, he will have violated Jewish law.

The fact is that most prominent Orthodox leaders have accepted and embraced Zionism. Among the Orthodox signers to Israel's Declaration of Independence are the two leaders of the Ultra Orthodox Agudath Israel movement, Rabbi Yizchak Meir Levin and Rabbi Meir David Lowenstein, as well as Rabbi Kalman Kahana of Agudath Israel's labor movement and Rabbis Wolfe Gold and Yehuda Leib Maimon, leaders of the religious Zionist Mizrachi movement.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, one of the most prominent American Orthodox leaders of the 20th century, not only embraced Zionism but also considered the establishment of the state of Israel a divine communication God was literally knocking on the door of the Jewish people. The state of Israel was not to be viewed as heresy, but rather a joint endeavor between God and the Jewish people.

This group has crossed the line by attending the Tehran conference and embracing the monster Ahmadinejad who blatantly says that he wishes to carry on where Hitler left off. Shame on them for betraying their own people. Shame on them for spurning God and his gift of the state of Israel.

In my opinion, despite their dress and outward appearance, they have lost any right to call themselves Orthodox Jews. Perhaps we should even go further and declare about them what Maimonides has said: "The following individuals do not have a share in the world to come — those who separate themselves from the community. A person who separates himself from the community may be placed in this category even though he has not transgressed any sins. A person who separates himself from the congregation of Israel and does not take part in their hardships — but rather goes on his own path as if he is from another nation and not Israel — does not have a portion in the world to come." By abandoning the state of Israel and betraying the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, this group has indeed separated itself from the rest of the nation of Israel.

Let there be no mistake about it: The vast majority of Jews, of all denominations, fully reject the religious and theological views expressed by the Neturei Karta.

Gelman, rabbi of United Orthodox Synagogues, is treasurer of the Houston Rabbinical Association and a member of the Board of the Houston Jewish Federation.
 

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