"They are harming the Haredim in Israel": Rabbis arrive at the White House with a letter for Trump
An unusual meeting in the Oval Office: The Satmar Rebbes will meet with President Trump in Washington, carrying a dramatic letter from Haredi leaders in Israel titled: "Urgent appeal for the protection of the rights of the Haredi community in Israel."
"Urgent appeal for the protection of the rights of the Haredi community in Israel": US President Donald Trump is expected to receive today (Thursday) at the White House a delegation of Hasidic representatives, led by the Satmar Rebbes, who will bring with them a clear message from Israel. The delegation members received a special letter from Israel regarding the draft law, which they were asked to deliver directly into the hands of President Trump. At this stage, it is not yet clear whether the representatives will succeed in handing the letter to the president during the meeting.
"Infringement of our rights".
In the letter, titled "Urgent appeal for the protection of the rights of the Haredi community in Israel", the Haredi leaders write:
"With the help of Heaven. The Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United States. The White House. Washington, D.C. Regarding: Urgent appeal for the protection of the rights of the Haredi community in Israel. Mr. President, we, rabbis and religious leaders in Israel, appeal to you with respect regarding the growing infringement of the fundamental rights of the Haredi community in Israel. First, we express our deep gratitude for your steadfast friendship toward the Jewish people and for your strong support for religious freedom. Precisely because you are a true friend of the Jewish people, in the Land of Israel and throughout the world, we feel obligated to bring to your attention this painful issue. About 1.4 million Orthodox Jews, according to their faith and conscience..."
The meeting is scheduled to take place in the Oval Office at 19:30 Israel time. Alongside the two Teitelbaum brothers, who head the two Satmar factions in Kiryas Joel and Williamsburg, other Rebbes and heads of yeshivas are expected to participate. This is an unusual composition: the White House is accustomed to hosting the heads of Jewish organizations whose agenda includes the fight against antisemitism and support for Israel, whereas this time, leaders of a stream that rejects the very existence of the state are arriving in Washington.
Refusing government budgets
Satmar is one of the largest Hasidic courts in the world, with its centers in Williamsburg and Kiryas Joel in New York State. It is the standard-bearer of the anti-Zionist Haredi stream, which rejects the very existence of the State of Israel, and the Rebbes who lead it are accustomed to sharply attacking the Haredi parties in Israel for their cooperation with the state. The Hasidic educational institutions in Israel refuse to accept government budgets for fear that dependence on state money will lead to interference in the curriculum.
In the Hasidic court, they state that the meeting is related to the struggle over the drafting of yeshiva students and the desire of the courts in the US to strengthen their status and influence on the leadership of communities in Israel. A picture of the Rebbes in the Oval Office is intended to signal that they have diplomatic backing in Washington and is also meant to assist in fundraising efforts in the US—money that is needed now more than ever to enable the institutions in Israel to disconnect from state budgets.
