{"id":7609,"date":"2026-10-09T07:57:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T07:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=7609"},"modified":"2026-10-09T07:57:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T07:57:26","slug":"who-is-dov-lando-the-israeli-rabbi-criticising-zionism-israel-election-2026-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=7609","title":{"rendered":"Who is Dov Lando, the Israeli rabbi criticising Zionism? | Israel Election 2026 News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of Israel\u2019s top ultra-Orthodox rabbis, Dov Lando, has become the centre of controversy in Israel after comments emerged in which he denigrated Zionism.<\/p>\n

In a recently released video recording, the 96-year-old rabbi is heard saying the ideology of Zionism caused the Jewish people to suffer \u201cdisasters\u201d, and that Jewish Israelis may have been better off without a state.<\/p>\n

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The remarks have drawn rebukes from Israeli politicians weeks before landmark legislative elections, in which the role of the country\u2019s growing ultra-Orthodox community \u2013 particularly over military service<\/a> \u2013 is a major issue. The political alignment of ultra-Orthodox parties could also prove crucial to the formation of the next government.<\/p>\n

So, who is Lando and why are his comments significant?<\/p>\n

Who is Dov Lando?<\/h2>\n

Dov Lando is a 96-year-old rabbi regarded as the leader of Israel\u2019s Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community. Born in Poland and raised in the Lithuanian-style ultra-Orthodox tradition, Lando heads a yeshiva \u2013 a traditional Jewish academy \u2013 in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak.<\/p>\n

He is a member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, a council of senior ultra-Orthodox rabbis that offer religious guidance to the community, as well as the spiritual leader of Israel\u2019s Degel HaTorah party. That party is part of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) alliance, which is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s coalition.<\/p>\n

What has Lando said about Zionism?<\/h2>\n

Earlier this week, Israeli media released a video of Lando making year-old comments that harshly criticise Zionism<\/a>, military service and secular Israelis.<\/p>\n

Lando, who has made similarly critical remarks before, is heard in the video saying that Zionism \u201ccaused the Arabs to hate us\u201d and brought physical as well as spiritual \u201cdisasters\u201d on the Jewish people.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is possible to live well with the Arabs without a state,\u201d Lando said, adding that international or Palestinian rule would have been \u201cthe best situation\u201d for Jews.<\/p>\n

Lando went on to castigate soldiers who adhere to Religious Zionism \u2013 a strand of Orthodox Judaism that upholds Zionism \u2013 saying \u201cthey are killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted Torah.\u201d Many military operations, he said, are carried out \u201cnot for saving lives, but for the honour of the state\u201d.<\/p>\n

The veteran rabbi also had harsh words for secular Israelis, who he said have \u201cno connection to Judaism at all\u201d. He described them as having built \u201ca state of apostasy and heresy\u201d.<\/p>\n

What has been the reaction in Israel?<\/h2>\n

Lando\u2019s remarks have drawn fierce criticism from numerous Israeli politicians, including all major figures that have joined an opposition alliance challenging Netanyahu.<\/p>\n

Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party who is viewed as the opposition bloc\u2019s most likely candidate for prime minister, said Lando\u2019s \u201coutrageous statements\u201d were \u201cthe embodiment of anti-Zionism\u201d.<\/p>\n

Yair Lapid, the head of Israel\u2019s opposition in the Knesset, called the comments \u201ca disgrace to every Jew\u201d.<\/p>\n

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who leads the Together alliance co-founded with Lapid, said Lando\u2019s remarks are \u201canti-Semitic, anti-Zionist\u201d and against the Israeli military.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu has not commented on Lando\u2019s latest reported remarks, but he publicly condemned earlier statements by the rabbi in July, when Lando accused the Religious Zionism movement of \u201cincitement to murder\u201d for its support for drafting religious seminary students into the military.<\/p>\n

Could the controversy impact Israel\u2019s upcoming elections?<\/h2>\n

Potentially.<\/p>\n

Members of the anti-Netanyahu opposition bloc have called for the UTJ, which Lando\u2019s party is part of, to be cast out of any future government, and criticised Netanyahu for staying aligned with the group.<\/p>\n

Yair Golan, head of the Democrats party, said Netanyahu is \u201csilent because without Rabbi Lando and his emissaries, he has no government\u201d.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu\u2019s \u201cpolitical survival is more important to him than Zionism, more than equality in service, and more than the blood of our soldiers\u201d, Golan said.<\/p>\n

But breaking with the UTJ would come at a huge political cost to Netanyahu, whose coalition is already in for a tough election battle on October 27<\/a> and is polling well below the 61-seat threshold needed for a majority.<\/p>\n

UTJ is projected to win 8 seats in parliament, according to an October 5 poll by Israel\u2019s Channel 12.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Netanyahu attacks Lando forcefully, he pays a price with the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) he needs to form a government,\u201d said Ehab Jabareen, a researcher on Israeli affairs. \u201cIf he stays silent, he hands his rivals material to tell right-wing voters that the man who speaks of Zionism and security depends on a religious leadership that doubts Zionism itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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One of Israel\u2019s top ultra-Orthodox rabbis, Dov Lando, has become the centre of controversy in Israel after comments emerged in which he denigrated Zionism. In a recently released video recording, the 96-year-old rabbi is heard saying the ideology of Zionism caused the Jewish people to suffer \u201cdisasters\u201d, and that Jewish Israelis may have been better…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t