Rabbi Dov Lando, a leading figure in Israel’s Lithuanian Haredi community, said peaceful coexistence with Arabs could have been possible without establishing a state, adding that Arab rule might have been preferable. His comments were recorded during a discussion among rabbis about the military conscription of Haredi Jews.
Remarks on statehood
Lando questioned what might have happened if no state had been created and suggested that a United Nations-administered government could have produced a better situation. He also argued that Zionism had intensified hostility between Arabs and Jews and brought material as well as spiritual harm to Israelis.
The discussion took place at Lando’s home in Bnei Brak, central Israel. The footage was recorded during the war, though the exact date was not specified.
Conscription dispute
Lando also criticised rabbis who support military service, saying their teaching contributed to fighters being killed and that some actions were taken for the honour of the state rather than religious salvation. Haredi opposition to conscription is rooted in the community’s emphasis on Torah study and concerns about integration into secular society. His comments represent his own views and should not be read as the position of all Haredi Jews.
