Neturei Karta

Neturei Karta

נטורי קרתא‎
Neturei Karta members at a rally in support of Palestine.
Motto	Jews United Against Zionism
Formation	1938 (79 years ago)
Type	INGO
Purpose	Haredi Judaism, Anti-Zionist activism
Key people	Moshe Ber Beck, Yisroel Dovid Weiss

Neturei Karta (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: נָטוֹרֵי קַרְתָּא nāṭōrē qarṯā, literally "Guardians of the City") is a religious group of Haredi Jews, formally created in Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine, in 1938, splitting off from Agudas Yisrael. The Neturei Karta see themselves as the "true Jews", but are viewed as being on "the farthest fringes of Judaism" by the US-based Anti-Defamation League. Neturei Karta opposes Zionism and calls for a dismantling of the State of Israel, in the belief that Jews are forbidden to have their own state until the coming of the Jewish Messiah.

In Israel some members also pray at affiliated beit midrash, in Jerusalem's Meah Shearim neighborhood and in Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet. Neturei Karta states that no official count of the number of members exists. The Jewish Virtual Library puts their numbers at 5,000, while the Anti-Defamation League estimates that fewer than 100 members of the community take part in anti-Israel activism. Members of Neturei Karta have a long history of extremist statements and support for notable anti-Zionist and Islamist.

According to the US branch Neturei Karta:

"The name Neturei Karta is a name usually given to those people who regularly pray in the Neturei Karta synagogues (Torah Ve'Yirah Jerusalem, Torah U'Tefillah London, Torah U'Tefillah NY, Beis Yehudi Upstate NY, etc.), study in or send their children to educational institutions run by Neturei Karta, or actively participate in activities, assemblies or demonstrations called by the Neturei Karta".

Originally the organization was called Chevrat HaChayim (Society of Life); however this name was quickly supplanted in favor of the name Neturei Karta.