rabbiofberlin,
Indeed I have read the full transcript of the Bilgurayer. My point was in response to cantoresq seeming suggestion that the speech acknowledged a widespread knowledge amongst Hungarian Jewry of the Nazi ym’s annihilation of European Jewry outside of Hungary. This speech made no such indication. And indeed Hungarian Jewry was oblivious to the systematic annihilation, otherwise the Vrba report would have not been so shocking, as cantoresq himself acknowledged earlier in this thread. If the masses were aware of the fate awaiting them, they would not get onto the deportation trains to Aushwitz. Which human being would walk onto such a train with that knowledge?
The speech itself did not advocate remaining in Europe, but rather was chizuk for the Klal. Indeed what means would the Klal have had to emigrate from Hungary even if they wanted to? Which country would accept them? At best, had they been aware of the systematic annihilation (had Kastner so informed the public what he knew from Vrba), they could merely hide, attempt escape, or resist deportation making the Germans/Hungarian Arrow Cross deportation/annihilation effort that much more difficult and less succesful. They would not have been able to murder 400,000 kedoshim so systematically and easily.
BTW, the Satmar Rebbe and R’ Amrom Blau did not advocate returning the land to the Arabs. No sane person does. In fact, the Satmar Rebbe would call off protests against the zionists if he ever got wind that any Arabs intended to “join” the protest.
If you asked the Gerrer Rebbe, Vizhnitz Rebbe or the Rosh Yeshiva of Mir if they are crypto-zionists, what do you suppose their reaction would be? “Gabbai, der yid darf a Tylenol!” Financial and political acceptance/participation to the de facto facts on the ground may be something other authorities disagree with, but it does not make them any less anti-zionists than they will tell you they are.