Brief
Ultra‑Orthodox Rabbi Dov Lando’s anti‑Zionist remarks spark election controversy
The senior ultra‑Orthodox rabbi’s comments on Zionism and military service have intensified a political clash weeks before the vote.
By Felo News Desk · Published
In footage aired by Channel 12 on Monday, 96‑year‑old Rabbi Dov Lando, spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah party, suggested that Jews might have been better off without a state and blamed religious Zionist teachings for soldiers’ deaths. The remarks, made at a private gathering in his Bnei Brak home, have ignited a political row three weeks before Israel’s parliamentary election on Oct 27, Al Jazeera reported.
What happened
Lando told the audience that soldiers adhering to “Religious Zionism” die because their rabbis teach a “distorted Torah” and that many military operations are carried out “not for saving lives, but for the honour of the state.” He added that it would be possible to live well with Arabs without a state, describing international or Palestinian rule as “the best situation.” The comments were originally published in February 2025 but resurfaced amid the current election campaign.
What the reports add
Al Jazeera noted that Lando’s remarks come as ultra‑Orthodox military service has become a sharp fault line in Israeli politics. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that there is no legal basis for ultra‑Orthodox seminary students to receive draft exemptions, and the government has struggled to pass legislation restoring those exemptions, leading to large protests on both sides.
What was said
"They are killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted Torah," Lando said, according to the Channel 12 footage cited by Al Jazeera.
"It is possible to live well with the Arabs without a state," he added.
Ehab Jabareen, a researcher on Israeli affairs, told Al Jazeera that the focus is not merely on what Lando said but why the discourse appears at the heart of the debate three weeks before the election.
How it came about
Lando leads Degel HaTorah, one of two factions in the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) alliance, which won seven seats in the 2022 election and previously supported Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. In May, Lando said he no longer trusted Netanyahu and called for the parliament to be dissolved. His current comments echo longstanding tensions over ultra‑Orthodox draft exemptions, a topic also featured in Felo’s recent coverage of the election’s Arab‑party ban and Supreme Court rulings.
Key facts
- Rabbi Dov Lando said Jews might be better off without a state and blamed religious Zionist teachings for soldiers' deaths. (aljazeera.com)
- The remarks were made at a closed meeting at Lando's home in Bnei Brak and aired on Channel 12. (aljazeera.com)
- Lando is the spiritual leader of Degel HaTorah, part of the United Torah Judaism alliance that holds seven Knesset seats. (aljazeera.com)
- Israel's Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that there is no legal basis for ultra‑Orthodox draft exemptions. (aljazeera.com)
- The comments resurfaced three weeks before the Oct 27 parliamentary election. (aljazeera.com)
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “Ultra-Orthodox rabbi’s anti-Zionist remarks stir Israel election row”
