Yisroel Dovid Weiss
Yisroel Dovid Weiss (Yiddish: ישראל דוד ווייס; born October 12, 1956) is an American Jew,[1] activist, and spokesman for the worldwide religious group Neturei Karta,[2][1][3] an anti-Zionist group. Residing in Monsey, New York, he believes that Jews should peacefully oppose the existence of the Israeli state: "It would be forbidden for us to have a State, even if it would be in a land that is desolate and uninhabited."[4] He emphasized the need for a complete return of land to Palestinians, rejecting the '67 borders and advocating coexistence.[5]
Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss
October 1956 (age 67)
Activist and spokesman for a branch of Neturei Karta
In 2006, Weiss faced criticism for attending the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust, known for promoting Holocaust denial.[2][6] Co-speakers included David Duke and convicted Holocaust deniers.[7] As a result, Weiss incurred cherem (censure) from the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel[8] and was urged to be shunned by the Satmar Hasidic dynasty due to his participation.[4]
Weiss who himself lost most of his family in the Holocaust stated that he acknowledges the Holocaust's historical reality but criticizes Israelis for exploiting it, asserting that many Jews oppose Zionism.[5][9]