Jews Against Zionism Reach Out to Candidates

NORTH CHARLESTON — Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Monsey, N.Y., gathered with five other men from Jews United Against Zionism outside the North Charleston Coliseum Thursday night, hoping their message would reach the four GOP candidates. 

The group "prays for the speedy, peaceful dismantlement of the state of Israel."

"We represent Jews who are true to their religion," Weiss said. "This concept of a state is contradictory to Judaism … We are pleading with the politicians here that they should step back and not be fearful (of opposing Israel's existence)."

Weiss said that the existence of Israel was an affront to the Almighty since it is "forbidden" for Jews to have their own nation until He makes it so. Weiss said the affront is the "root cause of bloodshed" in the region. 

It's not that Muslims and Jews can't get along — they've done that for hundreds of years prior to the establishment of Israel in 1948 — but that no people should be occupied, Weiss said. 

"This is not a religious conflict," he said.

According to Weiss, demonstrations by Orthodox Jews against the nation of Israel, which was created by non-religious Jews and Evangelical Christians, are often ignored in the media, despite regular protests in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Jerusalem. 

He called Zionism a "farce" of Judaism. 

While Thursday night the demonstrators wanted to reach the GOP politicians inside the Coliseum, Weiss also weighed in on President Barack Obama on his pro-Israel stance. 

"We feel that he definitely has a lot of knowledge on this issue, but he's under a lot of pressure," Weiss said. 

Weiss said many politicians side with Israel "out of the goodness of their hearts," but that they are misled by the Zionist lobby. 

"They really should step back and study the situation more thoroughly," Weiss said. "We really feel it's crucial that the message gets across to these people." 

The group was not staying in Charleston and the state long. They have also made stops in New Hampshire prior to their primary.