Sharon "Nazi Collaborator," Chabad Rabbis Say

Branding Ariel Sharon a "Nazi collaborator," a group of Chabad rabbis, calling themselves the World Organization for Saving the Land and the People of Israel, sent a letter to Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz on Sunday calling for charges to be brought against the prime minister for "cooperating with the Nazis."

Three days before the anniversary of the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, Rabbi Yekutiel Rap from New York and Rabbi Shalom Volpo from Kiryat Gat called on Mazuz to "activate the Nazis and Nazi Collaborators Law and to press charges against Sharon and his supporters."

"Terrorist organizations are the Nazis of our generation," their letter said. "There is clearly cooperation with the Nazis when the Knesset and the government plan to deport thousands of Jews from their homes in order to transfer the property to Nazi organizations."

"It is known that the Nazis did not complete their job with the end of World War II and that their representatives in our generation are terrorist organizations, who day and night declare their desire to destroy the Jewish people," their letter added.

Volpo said his letter expresses the view of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, whom he refers to as Moshiach. He dismissed criticism of his comparison between the Holocaust and the disengagement plan, saying: "The Palestinians are doing the work of the Nazis in our generation. Sharon's desire is to help our enemies who, if they could, would do again what the Nazis already did to us....

"Everything I wrote in the letter is based on what the Rebbe, who is our King and Moshiach, said. The Rebbe said transferring land to the Palestinians would endanger millions of Jews. There is no Holocaust greater than that," Volpo said.

At the end of their letter, Rap and Volpo wrote that their words should not be interpreted as incitement.

"We are only interested in shaking up the law enforcement agencies in Israel so that they will pursue justice according to the state's laws," their letter said.

According to Chabad spokesman Rabbi Menachem Brod, Rap and Volpo do not represent mainstream Chabad, but are part of a fringe group with extreme views. [The "fringe group" dominates Chabad in Israel. Of course, Rabbi Brod did not mention that.]

Labor MK Eitan Cabel expressed shock at the comparison between Sharon and Nazi collaborators and called on Mazuz to immediately launch a criminal investigation against the letter's authors.

"It is disgraceful that these people call themselves rabbis," he said. "I call on the attorney-general to immediately launch an investigation, to press charges against these so-called rabbis, and to begin to do his job by protecting democracy in this country."

Yahad MK Yossi Sarid said Chabad "is the most annoying movement in Israel since they roll their eyes up to heaven and speak of unity, claiming they are not political, but really they are the most political of the religious movements."

Last month, the State Attorney's Office decided to launch an investigation against Women in Green leader Nadia Matar after she branded Disengagement Administration director Yonatan Bassi "a far more terrible version" of the Judenrat.

Justice Ministry officials said on Sunday that Rap's and Volpo's letter is more complicated, and the State Attorney's Office will require time to decide if an investigation should be launched.

"In the case of Matar, she sent a letter to Bassi in which she insulted him," a Justice Ministry official said. "In this case, however, the rabbis sent a letter to Mazuz asking him to launch an investigation against Sharon since he is collaborating with the Nazis, and that does not necessarily constitute an offense of insulting a public official."

Comments

[Ladron]

א לַמְנַצֵּחַ, לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר:
אֱלֹהֵי תְהִלָּתִי, אַל-תֶּחֱרַשׁ.
ב כִּי פִי רָשָׁע, וּפִי-מִרְמָה--עָלַי פָּתָחוּ; דִּבְּרוּ אִתִּי, לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר.
ג וְדִבְרֵי שִׂנְאָה סְבָבוּנִי; וַיִּלָּחֲמוּנִי חִנָּם.
ד תַּחַת-אַהֲבָתִי יִשְׂטְנוּנִי; וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּה.
ה וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלַי רָעָה, תַּחַת טוֹבָה; וְשִׂנְאָה, תַּחַת אַהֲבָתִי.
ו הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע; וְשָׂטָן, יַעֲמֹד עַל-יְמִינוֹ.
ז בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ, יֵצֵא רָשָׁע; וּתְפִלָּתוֹ, תִּהְיֶה לַחֲטָאָה.
ח יִהְיוּ-יָמָיו מְעַטִּים; פְּקֻדָּתוֹ, יִקַּח אַחֵר.
ט יִהְיוּ-בָנָיו יְתוֹמִים; וְאִשְׁתּוֹ, אַלְמָנָה.
י וְנוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ בָנָיו וְשִׁאֵלוּ; וְדָרְשׁוּ, מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶם.
יא יְנַקֵּשׁ נוֹשֶׁה, לְכָל-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ; וְיָבֹזּוּ זָרִים יְגִיעוֹ.
יב אַל-יְהִי-לוֹ, מֹשֵׁךְ חָסֶד; וְאַל-יְהִי חוֹנֵן, לִיתוֹמָיו.
יג יְהִי-אַחֲרִיתוֹ לְהַכְרִית; בְּדוֹר אַחֵר, יִמַּח שְׁמָם.
יד יִזָּכֵר, עֲו‍ֹן אֲבֹתָיו--אֶל-יְהוָה; וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ, אַל-תִּמָּח.
טו יִהְיוּ נֶגֶד-יְהוָה תָּמִיד; וְיַכְרֵת מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָם.
טז יַעַן-- אֲשֶׁר לֹא זָכַר, עֲשׂוֹת חָסֶד:
וַיִּרְדֹּף, אִישׁ-עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן--וְנִכְאֵה לֵבָב; לְמוֹתֵת.
יז וַיֶּאֱהַב קְלָלָה, וַתְּבוֹאֵהוּ; וְלֹא-חָפֵץ בִּבְרָכָה, וַתִּרְחַק מִמֶּנּוּ.
יח וַיִּלְבַּשׁ קְלָלָה, כְּמַדּוֹ: וַתָּבֹא כַמַּיִם בְּקִרְבּוֹ; וְכַשֶּׁמֶן, בְּעַצְמוֹתָיו.
יט תְּהִי-לוֹ, כְּבֶגֶד יַעְטֶה; וּלְמֵזַח, תָּמִיד יַחְגְּרֶהָ.
כ זֹאת פְּעֻלַּת שֹׂטְנַי, מֵאֵת יְהוָה; וְהַדֹּבְרִים רָע, עַל-נַפְשִׁי.
כא וְאַתָּה, יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי-- עֲשֵׂה-אִתִּי, לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ;
כִּי-טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ, הַצִּילֵנִי.
כב כִּי-עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנֹכִי; וְלִבִּי, חָלַל בְּקִרְבִּי.
כג כְּצֵל-כִּנְטוֹתוֹ נֶהֱלָכְתִּי; נִנְעַרְתִּי, כָּאַרְבֶּה.
כד בִּרְכַּי, כָּשְׁלוּ מִצּוֹם; וּבְשָׂרִי, כָּחַשׁ מִשָּׁמֶן.
כה וַאֲנִי, הָיִיתִי חֶרְפָּה לָהֶם; יִרְאוּנִי, יְנִיעוּן רֹאשָׁם.
כו עָזְרֵנִי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי; הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי כְחַסְדֶּךָ.
כז וְיֵדְעוּ, כִּי-יָדְךָ זֹּאת; אַתָּה יְהוָה עֲשִׂיתָהּ.
כח יְקַלְלוּ-הֵמָּה, וְאַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ: קָמוּ, וַיֵּבֹשׁוּ--וְעַבְדְּךָ יִשְׂמָח.
כט יִלְבְּשׁוּ שׂוֹטְנַי כְּלִמָּה; וְיַעֲטוּ כַמְעִיל בָּשְׁתָּם.
ל אוֹדֶה יְהוָה מְאֹד בְּפִי; וּבְתוֹךְ רַבִּים אֲהַלְלֶנּוּ.
לא כִּי-יַעֲמֹד, לִימִין אֶבְיוֹן-- לְהוֹשִׁיעַ, מִשֹּׁפְטֵי נַפְשׁוֹ.

[Isa]

لمناسبة الذكرى الحادية والستين للاستقلال نعيدّ جميع اللبنانيين في الوطن والإنتشار ونعدكم بإكمال مسيرة القوات اللبنانية حتى تحقيق السيادة والقرار الحرّ، وإجلاء جميع الجيوش الغريبة عن أرض لبنان والوصول إلى صيغة الوحدة التعددية وذلك عبر إلتزامنا الكامل وعلى جميع الأصعدة بقائد القوات اللبنانية الدكتور سمير جعج

[Josiah]

If those were the views of the Rebbe, then the Rebbe sure was right. We say עם ישראל חי! We do NOT say עם ישראל מת! Or do we only say עם ישראל חי as a lifeless tradition, devoid of meaning? I sure hope that is not the case.

[Schneur]

Its interesting to note how so-called Lubavitcher chasidim distort positions of the Rebbe.
1 . The Rebbe saw Ariel Sharon for yechidus numerus times and clearly liked and respected him.At the time he was a general and a reserve officer.
2. The Rebbe was adament in being against returning land to Arabs.
3.I do not know what the Rebbe' position on Gaza was and I welcome clarification on this issue.
4. Finally as the Rav (Baal HaTanya) says men darf leben mit die Zayt (I know the vort of the parsha),
situations change and relative psakim change. Would the Rebbe have the sam view of Russia now in 2004 as he did in 1970 (would he send clandestine people there now ??).
This is the danger of a major group having no living leadership.Everything the Rebbe said is at latest vintage 1992. Events change , political situations change,leadership changes people change. As the Rebbe said many times the issue of giving back shtochim was Pikuach Nefesh NOT the issue of Lo techanem of Kedushas HoAretz. Issues of Pikuach nefesh change at various times ans as the Rebbe said are decided by Mumchim (experts )in military arts and state craft with consultanship with rabbonim (as the Rayaatz said "mit a klugen rav")
I have no position on this issue of Gaza withdrawal.
As for Torah Jewry lets ask a psak from men like rabbis Ovadya Yosef, S. Elyashev. the Gerer rebbe, the Vishnitzer rebbe, and others and get a clear psak.By the way there are Lubavitch rabbonim in Israel (chiefly in Jerualem) who still know how to pasken a din in Pikuach nefesh too.
This is not applicable to the Mizrachi circles Rabbis Schapiro, M. Eliyahu etc as their rabbonim have made the issue kedushas hoAretz not pikuach nefesh.
I agree that rabbi Wolbo and Rapp are extremists and do really represent Chabad. But they ought to be expelled from organized Lubavitch .They give Lubavitch a bad name.

[Schneur]

Correction : I meant to write that rabbis Wolbo and rapp DO NOT represent Chabad in israel

[Ladron]

Dear Reb Schneur
They do represent or they don't represent .... It's not that simple . I want to see , who does represent Chabad ?
I even doubt that they could be schizophrenic.
Where are their gdolim that condemn dissent (?) in public for all to know ?
I do not think that they think essentially in any different way.
So they have Meschichisten & non-Meschichisten .
A supposed to be non Mesch... will say : well may be no , but will defend the right of the others to uphold the heretic views .
In main stream Chabad synagogues , you find those with Yechi , some drop flyers on Shabbes of the Israeli fanatics & others .
Veeyn potze pei umetzaftzef.
Look at 770 , who runs it ? Those & those . Unfortunately, it is far from a case of eilu veeilu divrei elokim ....
So who represent them ?
For a supposed to be non political movement, they host clearly political events featuring Kach , or R Y Ginzburg and all is presented as the way of the Rebbe. Are they then political or not political ?