‘The Holocaust helped the Zionists’ – New film follows Neturei Karta

A new documentary has shed light on a extreme anti-Zionist sect of Ultra-Orthodox Jews who claim the Shoah was punishment for Jews not being religious enough.

VICE’s fly-on-the-wall special Rebel Rabbis: Anti-Zionist Jews against Israel follows the London branch of the Neturei Karta, a controversial extremist group who campaign against the state of Israel.

The group have forged controversial allegiances with former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the European far-right.

Senior members of the group are shown attending ill-tempered anti-Israel demonstrations, burning the Israeli flag, and defending their working relationship with alleged Holocaust denier Ahmadinejad.

When pressed by filmmaker Milene Larsson over the Neturei Karta’s stance on the Holocaust, a member admits the group believe it may have been “a punishment”.

He says: “Maybe the Holocaust was a punishment… for going away from God, for rebellion against God.

“What we also have to say on the Holocaust is that for the Zionists, the Holocaust worked in their favour from beginning to end.

“They justify what they are doing to the Palestinians with the Holocaust and what’s happening to the Jewish people.”

The 21-minute documentary, which was released last week, is available to view on YouTube.