Neturei Karta: The Ultra-Orthodox Jews Who Say Zionism Violates the Torah

Neturei Karta (Aramaic: "Guardians of the City") is an ultra-Orthodox Jewish movement, founded in Jerusalem in the 1930s, that opposes Zionism on theological grounds. Its members argue that the Jewish return to the Land of Israel must await divine redemption and the coming of the Messiah — and that the secular, politically established State of Israel is therefore a violation of Jewish law and a source of spiritual danger.

Their position rests on three rabbinic prohibitions known as the "Three Oaths" — derived from the Talmud — which they interpret as forbidding Jews from returning en masse to Israel, from rebelling against the nations of the world, and from the nations of the world oppressing Israel excessively. Neturei Karta argues that Zionism violated these oaths.

Neturei Karta is a fringe group within Orthodox Judaism. The movement numbers in the low thousands globally. The overwhelming majority of Orthodox rabbinical authorities — including major ultra-Orthodox authorities who were historically skeptical of Zionism — now accept the legitimacy of the State of Israel or at minimum do not oppose it in the way Neturei Karta does. The mainstream Orthodox position distinguishes between supporting secular Zionism as an ideology and accepting the existence and security of a Jewish state.

Neturei Karta members are frequently photographed at pro-Palestinian rallies and have met with figures including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hamas leaders — actions that mainstream Jewish organizations describe as providing cover for antisemitism. The movement insists these are expressions of religious principle, not support for terrorism.

Their theological argument — that Zionism is separate from Judaism — is selectively used in anti-Israel discourse to suggest that opposition to Israel represents authentic Judaism while Zionism is a corruption. This framing misrepresents the breadth of Jewish opinion: the vast majority of the world's Jewish community, religious and secular, supports Israel's right to exist, even when they disagree with specific policies. Neturei Karta's position is a genuine minority view within Judaism, not a representative one.