The Satmar Rebbe issued a dramatic and unprecedented directive on Motzei Shabbos to all his chassidim in Israel—banning them from protests following the recent killings of two young bochurim, Yosef Eisenthal, z’l, and Naftali Tzvi Kramer, z’l, by Israeli bus drivers during or after protests.
During a chizzuk talk by the Rebbe at his vacation spot in Palm Springs, California, the Rebbe addressed the tangible danger facing participants in the protests, saying that the reality on the ground has become so dangerous as to pose a real threat to life. He emphasized that the foremost responsibility is to preserve human life and that there is no heter for putting yeshiva bochurim and avreichim in situations that could end in disaster.
The Rebbe cried out, “They are mamash being mafkir Jewish neshamos. There are murderous Arabs and Zionists. This must be heard throughout all of Eretz Yisrael, to all our people. No bochur from our community is permitted to participate in these demonstrations.”
The Rebbe asked that his words be published everywhere there is a Satmar community. “We have a yeshiva in Jerusalem, and we have a kollel in Jerusalem, in Bnei Brak and in Beit Shemesh,” he said. “I’m speaking to speak to all the bochurim of our yeshivas. It is forbidden for any bochur to participate in protests and block roads. This is an extraordinarily dangerous thing.”
The Rebbe cited the Gemara from Masechtas Chullin, ‘חמירא סכנתא מאיסורא’ (Danger is more severe than a prohibition), noting that this was also the opinion of his uncle, the Divrei Yoel, zt”l.
“Whoever knew my uncle and the way he led the struggle against the Zionists knew that despite all the sharpness, he knew it was dangerous,” he said. “All our people are forbidden to take part in demonstrations.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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23 Responses
This is a rare moment. The Satmar Rov came out with a directive that makes sense.
Which one of the Satmar Rebbes is that?
Protests in Israel are not as powerful as protests in America. The Israeli government does not care about protests in Israel. They worry about protests in America because that’s where the money comes from. This was the tactic of reb yoelish Ztl. The israeli govmnt would send agents to ask him to cancel protests. He was very smart and would postpone them. He said keeping the threat of an upcoming protest is more powerful than the protest happening. So many issues he fought that today’s generation has no clue. Many young people today dont even know about the issue of forced autopsies where every Jew who died had their bodies kidnapped by police and cut up to shreds. Yes sounds crazy. The famous World War Two American Jewish general wrote in his book called Lieutenant Birnbaum how he snuck into the autopsy morgues and took pictures of the cut up body parts. Then sent it to the satmar rebbes who had the pictures posted all over manhattan. Todays youth are more busy where they can buy a big house in Tom’s river or Airmont areas.
Not that the Tzadik needs anyone’s haskamaz, obviously, but the Rebbe shlita is 100% correct. The Zionist murderers are just as bad as the Arab murderers.
So the murderers win..
Maybe the zionists should kill a few more bachirim, and then they’ll achieve their goal of kidnapping everyone to the Army
Where the Satmar Rebbe has been last year, two years, five, ten years ago?
“Rebbe addressed the tangible danger facing participants in the protests, saying that the reality on the ground has become so dangerous as to pose a real threat to life.”
I’d like to know how many people’s simchas, levayas, business arrangements very ruined and the worst of all life’s were cut short because they couldn’t make it to the hospital because the reads were blocked by people whether from the right, left, religious or secular?!?!?!
Where the Satmar Rebbe has been last year, two years, five, ten years ago?
“Rebbe addressed the tangible danger facing participants in the protests, saying that the reality on the ground has become so dangerous as to pose a real threat to life.”
I’d like to know how many people’s simchas, levayas, business arrangements very ruined and the worst of all life’s were cut short because they couldn’t make it to the hospital because the roads were blocked by people whether from the right, left, religious or secular?!?!?!
Was there any mention of it being forbidden to be mezak the property of others and that lighting garbage on fire and blocking traffic puts others in sakanah etc or is this all about the murderous Zionist drivers?
There are murderous Arabs and Zionists. HOW DARE YOU compare Zionists to arabs, You must obtain מחילה from every single Zionist before יום-הכיפורים failing which:- Don’t bother observing יום-הכיפורים on Monday September 21st, 2026.
But do bother observing יום-העצמאות on Wednesday April 22nd, 2026.
I find this very funny!
Satmar are are ones that CREATED Hafgonos (this is their oxygen and bread and butter) now they are saying not to participate….LOL
How about something like this. “Reb Yoel ztvk”l gave his life for kovod shem shomayim. Those that riot, smash windows, light garbage cans afire, block streets and act like hooligans are mechalel shem shomayim. This chilul shem shomayim spreads globally through videos and photos that are then spread around the world to a global audience. The people who engage in such actions are reshaim. Reb Yoel ztvk”l held it is assur to be meschaber with reshaim. It is therefore absolutely forbidden to attend these protests.”
These statements are more Satmar disingenuous propaganda created in Satmar’s alternate reality.
Let’s try “suicidal rioters” instead of “Murderous Zionists”.
If these suicidal rioters had been learning in yeshiva instead of rioting and sitting down in front of vehicles, they would not have been hit by vehicles.
as the brisker rav said to rav amrom blau how are you not afraid to go to these protests they (the zionists) are choshud al retzicha
this- the fact that you are not afraid, shows you’ve been influenced by them, and therefore can not fully recognize who they are.
It is nice to see that Rebbe Aaron is concerned about danger from drivers. He should proceed along such lines to advocate for greater road safety in general, worldwide, more careful driving, etc.
Which sakmar rebbe iMedina?
As an aside, does he think blocking streets in the heart of charedi neighborhoods helps the fight against the medina?
And you read this psak firt a week ago in multiple replies from the readers. YWN should start its own chassidus.
Which Satmar Rebbe is this?
Which flavor sakmar is he?
Does he otherwise “pasken” that blocking roads in chareidi neighborhoods is a legitimate way of fighting the medina?
Nice to see he has such a kehilla in Palm Springs, not just in Palm Tree.
He had to say those things about Zionism. If not all hell would break loose. Not his fault.
When you have people like the bagatz and attorney general nazi as well as at least half of the knesset members that are pretty much hell-bent on eradicating Judaism from Israel completely if they got their way, that leaves little trust from the religious side. Whether you agree or not with the tactics or the protests, they are harassing them day and night and making religious life pretty much unbearable. A Jewish state that treats its Arabs way better than Jews is something to be upset about
At least one of the mudering bus drivers was an ARAB. Israeli, perhaps. Zionest not.
The Story with The Brisker Rav and Rav Blau went a bit differently. Rav Blau laid down on the ground in front of a Bus during a protest. The Brisker Rav exclaimed to Rav Blau that he loves the Yidden of Eretz Yisroel MORE than he (The Brisker Rav) does evident by the fact that clearly Rav Blau believes the bus will not run him over. Rav Blau was no Zionist, per say, he was not a member of the Knesset. He was certainly among the zealots of the Old Yishuv. But he loved Yidden and trusted them.
Now while it has been all but proven in courts that the founding Zionist were not only suspected of murder, but were implicated in the assassination of Dr. Dahan and possibly others (see Ben Hecht’s Perfidy), they are no longer put for our bodies, but rather for our neshamos.
With all due respect to Rav Aaron Teitelbaum and bi’michilas ki’vod kodsho, the fight of the 20s – 50s maybe a bit beyond, is no longer the fight.
Shauli
The Zionist are out to destroy our neshomas. No question. But in their wicked minds they figure if they destroy our bodies there won’t be much neshoma. Here is the proof. In Gaza forty per cent of the dead soldiers were religious. The army leftist elite and the supreme evil court dont mind that. This way they reduce religious Jews. Now when a religious father gets killed who will keep the children religious and make sure they don’t go off the derech. Dont you see they want Chareidi fathers to die in wars so that their kids have a big chance of going lost spiritually. Now this war could have been won in three months without any soldiers getting killed. But these pork eating Zionist lefty leaders sent into buildings with terrorists religious soldiers as cannon fodder. They could have simply bombed these building from planes and no Israeli soldiers would be killed. Plus if no food,fuel,internet and media outlets allowed in the gazan civilians would loot and kill the Hamas. No brains.