25/07/2024
Not all Jews support Zionist aggression, says Rabbi activist
Alyaa Alhadjri
Published: Jul 25, 2024 6:00 PM
⋅
Arriving in Malaysia on Saturday just after the end of Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss started his six-day visit with a personal mission - to find food in a country where there are limited options that strictly meet his religious requirements.
Other than supplies packed from home in Monsey, New York - a major centre of Orthodox Judaism in the United States - Weiss said he wanted additional fruits and vegetables that are considered kosher or permissible.
Malaysiakini met with Weiss and his assistant for an interview at their hotel in Putrajaya, conveniently located just next door to a shopping mall.
“First of all, we went shopping. We went from one end to the other looking for certain items.
“All throughout our stay and we were here for almost a week, we passed by so many people and everywhere people greeted us with friendship.
“As we were looking for something people sought to help us, they were concerned,” Weiss said, describing Malaysians he encountered as “very special”.
Overwhelmingly positive reaction
Weiss, who adheres to the Jewish Orthodox requirement for men to cover their heads and keep a traditional hairstyle, said this when asked for comments on the Malaysian public’s reaction towards people of Jewish faith given the context of the ongoing genocide in Gaza by Israel’s Zionist regime.
ADS
While Orthodox Jewish men are often seen outside their homes in nearly identical knee-length black coats, Weiss had extra accessories that he said caught the eyes of people he met here - a Palestinian keffiyeh or scarf worn around his neck, and a sticker on his right chest with the message “A Jew (is) Not a Zionist”.
Another sticker showed the Israel flag but with a red sign that stressed his objection and non-recognition of the formation of the state at the expense of Palestinians.
“They (Malaysians) saw us wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh and came to thank us from the depths of their heart.
“We can see they were so emotional,” said the 68-year-old who is also a spokesperson for Naturei Karta, a global group of anti-Zionist Jews from a branch of Orthodox Judaism characterised by their strict interpretations of religious laws.
“We thank God people knew of the stance of Judaism.
“I had many people approach us and they knew that there are Jewish people around the world who are true to the Jewish religion standing in opposition to Zionism, and there are also many who didn’t know.
“In both cases, people on the street are nice,” said Weiss, adding that he also tried to find a headscarf made from Malaysian batik, as Jewish women are also required to cover their hair, either with a scarf or a wig.
ADS
‘Judaism and Zionism are polar opposites’
At the same time, Weiss said the locals’ positive public reaction does not negate a critical need for education to counter Israel’s claims that they are entitled to “land for a Jewish state” and that those who oppose their belief are “anti-Semitic” or hate Jews.
Describing the claims as Israel’s two most powerful weapons, Weiss said many governments had fallen for the claims and supported the Zionist regime, despite mounting protests or Palestinian solidarity rallies including in the US.
In the US, Weiss said many individuals were falsely accused of being anti-Semitic for speaking up against the Zionist regime.
“Again to be very clear, Judaism and Zionism are polar opposites. Judaism is a religion of 3,000 years. It is to be subservient to God, it is to uphold the laws of the Torah - not to kill, not to steal, to be kind.
“Zionism is about a hundred-odd years and not more than that. What do they (Zionists) want? They want nationalism.
“Zionism is a transformation to nationalism to make a piece of land theirs. To make a country.
“And this not what Judaism is about,” he stressed.
Asked whether understanding the difference could help to change anti-Jewish sentiments in many Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia, Weiss said he believed that such sentiment was driven by attacks against Palestinians.
“Like I said, when we went shopping people greeted us, smiled at us, maybe because we’re wearing the keffiyeh but it shows, it is not that people don’t like Jews.
“They don't like the fact that Palestinians are being occupied.
“If they understand that is not Judaism, then of course it’s the basic simple logic they will change their minds,” he added.
Weiss was in Malaysia on an invitation by the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, where he spoke at a colloquium on Sunday, apart from giving various media interviews.
“They (Malaysians) saw us wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh and came to thank us from the depths of their heart.
“We can see they were so emotional,” said the 68-year-old who is also a spokesperson for Naturei Karta, a global group of anti-Zionist Jews from a branch of Orthodox Judaism characterised by their strict interpretations of religious laws.
“We thank God people knew of the stance of Judaism.
“I had many people approach us and they knew that there are Jewish people around the world who are true to the Jewish religion standing in opposition to Zionism, and there are also many who didn’t know.
“In both cases, people on the street are nice,” said Weiss, adding that he also tried to find a headscarf made from Malaysian batik, as Jewish women are also required to cover their hair, either with a scarf or a wig.
‘Judaism and Zionism are polar opposites’
At the same time, Weiss said the locals’ positive public reaction does not negate a critical need for education to counter Israel’s claims that they are entitled to “land for a Jewish state” and that those who oppose their belief are “anti-Semitic” or hate Jews.
Describing the claims as Israel’s two most powerful weapons, Weiss said many governments had fallen for the claims and supported the Zionist regime, despite mounting protests or Palestinian solidarity rallies including in the US.
In the US, Weiss said many individuals were falsely accused of being anti-Semitic for speaking up against the Zionist regime.
“Again to be very clear, Judaism and Zionism are polar opposites. Judaism is a religion of 3,000 years. It is to be subservient to God, it is to uphold the laws of the Torah - not to kill, not to steal, to be kind.
“Zionism is about a hundred-odd years and not more than that. What do they (Zionists) want? They want nationalism.
“Zionism is a transformation to nationalism to make a piece of land theirs. To make a country.
“And this not what Judaism is about,” he stressed.
Asked whether understanding the difference could help to change anti-Jewish sentiments in many Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia, Weiss said he believed that such sentiment was driven by attacks against Palestinians.
“Like I said, when we went shopping people greeted us, smiled at us, maybe because we’re wearing the keffiyeh but it shows, it is not that people don’t like Jews.
“They don't like the fact that Palestinians are being occupied.
“If they understand that is not Judaism, then of course it’s the basic simple logic they will change their minds,” he added.
Weiss was in Malaysia on an invitation by the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, where he spoke at a colloquium on Sunday, apart from giving various media interviews.