Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews historically sought Arab-Jewish accommodation

Evidence

Even less understood than the traditional left-right Zionist divide regarding the Arabs are attempts by the anti-Zionist Orthodox to find a way to reconcile Jewish and Arab interests in Palestine, albeit at the expense of Jewish nationalism. Indeed, the archive of political images from 1948 to 2002 includes numerous scenes of traditionally garbed Orthodox Jews—usually representatives of the Neturei Karta sect, with Arabs, united in their fervent opposition to the Jewish state. To discern the origins of this apparently bizarre commingling, a consideration of the career of Jacob Israel De Haan (1881–1924) is enlightening. In the early 1920s, he tried to bridge the gulf between Jews and Arabs on behalf of the anti-Zionist Jewish community in Palestine, and ultra-Orthodoxy worldwide. Although the historiography of Zionist and Arab relations in Palestine has become increasingly sophisticated, a significant group that remains largely removed from consideration is the Haredim. This omission is due, in part, to the fact that the various conflicts did not follow conventional fault lines, as Haredim originally rejected all “distinctions” derived from “nationalism, blood, and race,” in favor of faith alone. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 447 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Haredim accused Zionists of faking Semitic kinship with Arabs; Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews historically sought common cause with Arabs against the Jewish state. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 447; A religious Jewish anti-Zionist reconceived Palestine as Arab-protected Orthodox enclave. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 448 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews historically sought common cause with Arabs against the Jewish state. #expands (0.93) — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 447