A conviction rooted
in religious tradition.

A people bound by Torah

Our starting point is religious: Jewish life is sustained through a covenant with Hashem and the obligations of Torah. Political independence is not what makes that covenant meaningful. JUAZ therefore rejects treating a modern state as the definition, fulfillment, or official voice of Judaism.

The Three Oaths

A central text in this discussion is the Talmud, Kesubos (Ketubot) 111a. In a discussion drawing on verses from Shir HaShirim, Rabbi Yosei bar Chanina describes three oaths: Israel is not to ascend “as a wall”; Israel is not to rebel against the nations; and the nations are not to oppress Israel excessively.

The passage addresses exile and redemption long before the modern Zionist movement. The religious argument against Zionism applies these teachings to nationalist state-building; the distinction between the original text and its later exposition is important for careful study.

The religious anti-Zionist reading

Torah Jews, also known as Natruna, presents an anti-Zionist understanding of Jewish identity and redemption. It points readers to Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe, and his work Vayoel Moshe as a central exposition of this position. Explore Torah Jews’ explanation ↗

In the tradition JUAZ follows, exile is a spiritual condition whose resolution cannot be substituted by nationalist state-building. Our objection is not simply to one government or policy; it concerns the religious premise of Zionism itself.

Understanding the appeal does not justify the ideology

After persecution and loss, the promise of security can feel compelling. A flag or national movement can offer a sense of belonging; attachment to family and to the Holy Land can become tied to support for a state. These feelings deserve a serious answer, not mockery.

But a powerful emotional appeal is not a religious justification. For JUAZ, safety is a responsibility to pursue within Torah, not a reason to replace it with nationalism. Jewish belonging is sustained through faith, learning, mitzvos, and care for one another. Love of Eretz Yisroel is a sacred attachment, not a mandate to turn political sovereignty into redemption.

Concern for people living in the Land calls for compassion and practical care. It does not require accepting Zionism’s claim to define Jewish identity or represent the Jewish people. We reject that claim while affirming the dignity and safety of every person.

Three recurring themes in the rabbinic collection

Waiting is a religious commitment

In the compilation’s Hirsch section (entries 2–4), exile and redemption are considered through Divine Providence and the daily work of religious observance. Redemption is not treated as a political objective that human power can simply deliver.

Love of the Land and statehood are distinct

The section on Rabbi Yosef Chaim Zonenfeld distinguishes support for the Jewish residents of the Holy Land from support for a Jewish government (entry 183). That distinction helps explain why devotion to Eretz Yisroel can coexist with religious opposition to nationalism.

Faith carries obligations toward others

The closing section, “The Talmud and Jewish Law,” turns to charity, visiting the sick, theft, and deception. It presents care and honest dealing toward non-Jews as religious responsibilities—not exceptions to them.

Read attributed excerpts and source accounts in the rabbinic directory →

Love of the Land is a different question

Opposition to Zionism must not be confused with indifference to Eretz Yisroel or hostility toward Jews who live there. The Talmudic page itself contains teachings about the value of life in the Land. The distinction we emphasize is between religious attachment and a claim that political sovereignty constitutes redemption.

For a second organizational voice, Neturei Karta International explicitly describes its opposition to Zionism and the State of Israel as Torah-based. Its publications and public activities can be explored directly on its website. Visit Neturei Karta International ↗