Senior Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi's Anti-Zionist Remarks Spark Political Storm Ahead of Israeli Elections

Comments by one of Israel’s most senior ultra-Orthodox rabbis suggesting that Jews might have been better off without a state have generated significant controversy just weeks before the parliamentary election.

In footage broadcast by Channel 12, the 96-year-old Rabbi Dov Lando, spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah party, stated that soldiers adhering to “Religious Zionism” who died in Israel’s wars perished because of their rabbis' teachings. The remarks, recorded during a closed meeting at his home in Bnei Brak, have ignited a political tempest ahead of the October 27 election.

“They are killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted Torah,” Rabbi Dov Lando said, adding that many military operations are conducted for state honor rather than saving lives. The comments emerged as ultra-Orthodox military service remains a critical fault line in Israeli politics following a 2024 Israeli Supreme Court ruling that ended legal exemptions for seminary students.

Rabbi Dov Lando's party forms part of the United Torah Judaism alliance, which previously served in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. In the leaked footage, the rabbi further asserted that living under Palestinian or international rule would have been preferable, arguing that Zionism caused Arab animosity and brought spiritual and physical disaster to the Jewish people.

The statements prompted swift reactions from political figures. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett condemned the remarks while criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for funding the ultra-Orthodox leadership. Meanwhile, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot called for Zionist parties to pledge against allying with Rabbi Dov Lando's faction.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained a calculated silence, navigating the delicate balance of preserving his coalition's ultra-Orthodox support while facing pressure from right-wing voters serving in the military. Analysts note that the ongoing dispute over the military draft continues to challenge the foundational social contract of the Israeli state regarding who fights, dies, and receives exemptions.