Moshe Friedman
Moshe Aryeh Friedman (Yiddish: משה אריה פרידמאן; born 1972 in Brooklyn, NY, USA) of Vienna, Austria is an anti-Zionist political activist known for his participation in the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust held in 2006 in Tehran, Iran. He is known as the founder of various anti-Zionist causes.[1]
Friedman publicly decries the creation of the State of Israel, which he believes should be reversed. His views are akin to those of Neturei Karta and Satmar, though he is not affiliated with them. He grew up in the Satmar community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.[2] Satmar leaders have condemned the Jews who participated in the conference.[2] Friedman has since been expelled by Vienna's Jewish community.[3]
Controversy
While often called by the title of "Rabbi" in the media, his status as a rabbi has been challenged by Rabbi Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel.[4] Officials of the Jewish Community of Austria say that he has not proven that he has completed the rabbinical studies required to earn the title.[5]
Friedman acknowledges that the Holocaust occurred, but has challenged the widely-cited figure of six million Jewish victims as a "Zionist fabrication."[5] Friedman has stated that "behind-the-scenes individuals and financial backers as well as perpetrators of some World War II crimes had been Zionists themselves."[6]
On December 11, 2006, Friedman actively participated in the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust a two-day symposium held in Tehran and sponsored by Iran's Foreign Ministry Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) for the purpose of "reviewing the Holocaust". Friedman spoke at a forum hosted by the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to discuss the Holocaust, where Friedman embraced and kissed Ahmadinejad.[2] Following the conference in Tehran, Friedman delayed his return to Austria due to his fears that he could be arrested by Austrian authorities for holocaust denial. [5][7]
In May 2006, Friedman met with Atef Adwan of Hamas and an acting Palestinian Cabinet Minister in Stockholm, Sweden, where Friedman announced his goals of building a "joint coalition" between Hamas and anti-Zionist Jews, and plans to send humanitarian aid to the West Bank.[8]
Friedman has aligned with the far right Freedom Party of Austria as part of an effort to obtain official government recognition for his religious community.[9]
The board of the Jewish Community of Vienna voted unanimously to excommunicate him, and has accused him of desecrating the Sabbath while participating in demonstrations.[10] Also, his children have been expelled from the Vienna Talmud-Torah school, owing the school 20,000 Euro tuition fees. [11] An Austrian court has rejected Aryeh Friedman's bankruptcy petition in August 2007 because no one would pay the costs of the proceedings. A new lawsuit against Friedman is due on 24. September, this time about unpaid bills for a Bar Mitzvah celebration in Vienna for his son. Even though the celebration was ignored by the Jewish community of Vienna, he had the bill sent to them and now faces charges of fraud. [12]
On March 11, 2007, while on a visit to Poland, members of the Israeli Jewish-Orthodox organization ZAKA attacked Friedman. Their leader, Yehuda Meshi Zahav, spotted Friedman in a crowd and attacked him for his participation in the Tehran conference, leaving Friedman badly bruised.[13]
See also
References
- ^ "Rabbi Friedman cautions against strategic abuse of Holocaust", ArabicNews.com, December 9, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007.
- ^ a b c Birkner, Gabrielle. "A Cold Reception for Jew who Embraced Iran", New York Sun, January 16, 2007. Accessed July 17, 2007. "Having become a pariah in Vienna's Jewish community, the Orthodox man photographed kissing the president of Iran is living in Brooklyn — and his presence is causing an uproar among the borough's fervently Orthodox Jews.... Mr. Friedman, who has lived in Vienna for about a decade, grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood as part of the Satmar community, a non-Zionist chasidic Jewish group. Satmar leaders have condemned the Jewish men who traveled to Iran.
- ^ Nessman, Ravi. "Jewish Sect Ostracized Over Iran Meeting", The Washington Post, January 27, 2007. Accessed July 18, 2007. "The Jewish community in Vienna expelled Moishe Arye Friedman, who traveled with the Tehran delegation but does not belong to Neturei Karta."
- ^ Boycott Jews who attended Iran conference, top rabbi urges, CBC, December 14, 2006. "Metzger said. 'To deny the most sensitive issue in Jewish history, and to co-operate with the Hitler of our day? One of those men introduced himself as the chief rabbi of Austria — and he's not even a rabbi.'"
- ^ a b c Cohler-Esses, Larry. "Black Eye For Black Hats After Tehran Hate Fest: Even anti-Zionist Orthodox groups slamming Neturei Karta following Holocaust-denial event.", The Jewish Week, December 22, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007. "Meanwhile, as of last Sunday, Rabbi Moishe Arye Friedman was still in Tehran, afraid to return home at all. He feared that Austria, his home country, might prosecute him for attending the conference under a law that makes it a crime to deny the Holocaust, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.... 'I have not jumped to conclusions at the conference,' he said. 'I was just dealing with issue of the number, [which] should be subject to debate.' But in an interview with The Jewish Week, he argued that the six million number 'is a Zionist fabrication'.... And despite his insistence that he is a chief rabbi of 'hundreds' of anti-Zionist congregants in Vienna, Jewish Community of Austria officials say he cannot show proof of having completed his rabbinical studies, and relatives, too, expressed their doubts over his status as a rabbi."
- ^ Rabbi Warns Against Holocaust Abuse, Iran Daily, December 9, 2006.
- ^ "Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision 10-12 December 2006", Adelaide Institute. Accessed July 20, 2007. "Fredrick Töben - Memo from Iran: 1. Chief Rabbi Friedman, Vienna, has come to the Foreign Ministry Guest House - and he has a tale to tell about past legal persecution at the hands of Rabbi Muzikant, the Austrian Zionist Rabbi. 2. He also advises that he cannot return to Austria on account of threats made against him upon his return."
- ^ Anti-Zionist rabbi, Palestinian Cabinet Minister Atef Adwan of Hamas vow to build ties between their anti-Zionist Jews and Hamas; Adwan, ultra-orthodox rabbi Moishe Arye Friedman say meeting heralded 'joint coalition', May 16, 2006. "Palestinian Cabinet minister Atef Adwan and a controversial Austrian rabbi pledged Friday to work to build ties between Hamas and anti-Zionist Jews. Adwan, Hamas' refugee minister, and orthodox rabbi Moishe Arye Friedman told The Associated Press their meeting in the Swedish capital heralded a 'joint coalition' between their groups. Adwan also said the two hoped their meeting would lead to plans for humanitarian aid to flow from Friedman's congregation in Vienna to the West Bank."
- ^ Austria's far rightists, ultra-Orthodox Jews join together in strange alliance, Taipei Times, June 16, 2005.
- ^ "Anti-Zionist Jew excommunicated in Vienna", Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Accessed July 17, 2007. "In addition, the community said, “Friedman, who has been trying to pose as ‘chief rabbi’ of a non-existent ‘anti-Zionist Jewish community’ in charedi garb, was however seen taking part in anti-Semitic demonstrations on Shabbat, speaking into a microphone and herewith desecrating the Sabbath on various occasions.”"
- ^ "Bankruptcy of Aryeh Friedmann", [Der Standard], August 15, 2007
- ^ "Fake Rabbi: Legal action", [Der Standard], August 23, 2007
- ^ "Israeli admits beating rabbi for attending Holocaust conference in Iran", International Herald Tribune, March 14, 2007. Accessed July 18, 2007. "Moishe Arye Friedman, who lives in Vienna, Austria, was attacked last Friday in Lezajsk, a small town in southeastern Poland. His attackers included Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, a member of the Israeli humanitarian group ZAKA, and two others, Friedman said in a telephone interview."