In the news

You always see those guys at the protests -

They are a sect related to Satmar that is pretty much despised by most Jews in the world. They are known to openly support anyone--- including terrorist organizations--- that pronounce goals of destroying Israel, NK figurehead Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss while not denying the Shoah--- his grandparents died in Auschwitz-- has been known to befriend Holocaust deniers who share his hate for Israel. A number of their members in the UK has been declared persona-non-grata by their Satmar synagogues. They are, to put it lightly, well meaning arogant fools. Its not also like Satmar are Zionists. Their previous Rebbe and founder (as a break-away cult from Sigheter, as his older brother was deemed their new leader when his father died) Joel Teitelbaum was a well known anti-Zionist. So much so that he let himself be saved by the Kaster train (a Zionist organized train) but saw to it that many of his followers stayed behind in Budapest to meet their deaths. After the war the Rebbe refused to accept that Zionists saved him but attacked the whole operation as evil. "G-d saved me, not Kaster"..His nephews now follow in the footsteps of the Rebbe with complete hate for one another and with two rival sects. One led by Aaron and based in Kiryas Joel--- the city officially with the highest level of poverty in the US--- and the other by Zalman in Williamsburg (Brookyn) with the great tradition of celebrating Simchat Torah (the Joy of the Torah,festival) by violently attacking one another (the joy of riots) . Satmar are currently the fastest growing and largest (Chassidic) Jewish sect in the US with over 120,000 members (larger even than Chabad, a worldwide sect whose followers believe that their Rebbe is the Messiah despite having died 20 years ago)...

probably worth remembering that the reason they're anti-zionist is that they believe when the Messiah comes, he's going to grant Israel to observant Jews - there isn't much clarity around what god is going to do to the people living there, but I imagine it won't be pleasant, given the documented track record. Bunch of nutjobs.

The basis of their position follows the Talmud Midrash

"Why/What are these Three Oaths? One, that Israel should not storm the wall {RaShI interprets: forcefully}. Two, the Holy One adjured Israel not to rebel against the nations of the world. Three, the Holy One adjured the nations that they would not oppress Israel too much"."

The Neturei Karta interpretation allows them to individually live in the land of Israel--- most of the NK members live in Me'a Sche'arim (Jerusalem)-- but to view the collective of Israel as violating the 3 oaths and, following the Satmar Rebber, heresy.

Many Satmar see the State of Israel in the way of the coming of the Messiah and the rebuilding of the Temple. That Israel is a secular country with a free democratic judicial (and not the Beth Din or rabbinic court ) and, worse still, using modern Hebew as a language, they see as near ultimate sin! Tschuva Tschuva Tschuva

When the "Messiah" comes? Then they can finally eat that BLT...:-)