Nassau County, New York was the host of a massive gathering of anti-Zionist Jews, specifically the Satmar Chasidim (ultra-Orthodox Jews). Something like 20,000 total in attendance made their way to the Nassau Coliseum to demonstrate against Zionism. Meanwhile, and purely coincidentally <a href="https://www.vosizneias.com/298873/2018/06/04/nassau-county-ny-photos-no-screens-and-heavy-security-as-thousands-att-satmar-anti-zionist-convention/?">the website Vos Iz Neias</a> (Yiddish for "What's News?") assures us, the 70th anniversary of Israel saw thousands in the streets of Times Square which was decked out in blue and white for the festivities for the Israeli Day Parade.
Hassidic attendees to the convention were offered high powered binoculars for the event as video screens are frowned upon. The Nassau convention center can hold over 12,000 people but with around 20,000 in attendance, some attendees had to make their seats in the floor of the Coliseum.
Speakers included Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, head of the Eidah Charedis in Jerusalem, Rabbi Getzel Berkowitz of the Kiryas Joel Beis Din, Rabbi Shmaye Lev of the Satmar Beis Din in London and Rabbi Yaakov Koppel Schwartz of Israel as well as the Satmar Grand Rebbe, Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum. Rabbi Teitelbaum gave a speech for over an hour regarding the dangers of Zionism as well as the importance of a foundation that would provide financial support for schools so as not to receive any funding from the Zionist supported Israeli government.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NEW YORK: Huge billboards and signs all over Orthodox Jewish Centers In tri-State area announcing the mega Satmar Convention <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KinesKluli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KinesKluli</a> this coming Sunday at <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCBLive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCBlive</a> Nassau Coliseum Long Island <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KinusKluli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KinusKluli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kinus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kinus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NassauColiseum?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NassauColiseum</a>. <br>On Posters: "THE GATHERING AGAINST ZIONISM": <a href="https://t.co/01ryd5XzPW">pic.twitter.com/01ryd5XzPW</a></p>— Voice of Our Rabbis (@AuthenticRabbis) <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthenticRabbis/status/1001521103905402882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.vosizneias.com/298787/2018/06/01/new-york-satmar-anti-zionism-event-expected-to-draw-thousands-on-long-island/">From Vos Iz Neias</a>:
<blockquote>Starting at 3 PM at the Nassau Coliseum, the convention is timed to coincide with the 20th day of Sivan commemoration of the murder of thousands of Jews and the burning of many sifrei Torah in Eastern Europe several hundred years ago.
The fact that the event is being held on the same day as the 70th annual Celebrate Israel parade was purely unintentional, said Yitz Farkas, one of the convention’s organizers.</blockquote>
An anonymous commenter at Vos Iz Neias had this to say, "As long as our holy Torah 'is around' then we have to keep on fighting the Zionist regime. We are a small voice in a large Zionistic Propaganda but nevertheless thousands of Anti Zionist Jews are here to say 'Judaism is not Zionism.' Bless them all!"
Judging from a tweet from Satmar Headquarters, the only major publications that even covered the existence of the event were primarily Hebrew language, sadly. A Google News search for Satmar Nassau Convention for the past month returns exactly zero queries. This shouldn't be exceptionally surprising considering the lengths that some went to rip off posters announcing the event. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/quotes/2344/">In the words of Revolutionary War era minister Elias Root Beadle</a>, "Half the work that is done in this world is to make things appear what they are not."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WATCH: Leadership of Sikriki/Sicarli/Zalis hired 4 dozen goons with cars to rip off all posters announcing mega Satmar anti <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Zionists?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Zionists</a> Convention <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KinesKluli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KinesKluli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCBLive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCBlive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KinusKluli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KinusKluli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kinus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kinus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NassauColiseum?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NassauColiseum</a> but it won’t help them! 19,800 tickets were sold as of last night! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Losers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Losers</a> <a href="https://t.co/GcmuB1TdFY">pic.twitter.com/GcmuB1TdFY</a></p>— Satmar Headquarters (@HQSatmar) <a href="https://twitter.com/HQSatmar/status/1003288106873905152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Hassidic communities are generally <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ultra-orthodox-anti-zionist/">anti-Zionist due to the fact that they interpret their scriptures completely literally</a>. As a result, they do not believe they are to return to the Land of Israel or to “rebel against the nations of the world,” nor to “hasten the End.” Any "human-led" movement that results in the "return to the land" is, then, completely counter to Halacha/Torah teaching in the eyes of the Satmar and Neturei Karta.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FLEET of 100 coach Buses are starting to roll out Just from Kiryas Joel to the mega Satmar anti <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Zionists?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Zionists</a> Convention <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KinesKluli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KinesKluli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCBLive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCBlive</a> Nassau Coliseum Long Island <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KinusKluli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KinusKluli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kinus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kinus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NassauColiseum?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NassauColiseum</a> STARTING 3pm SHARP <a href="https://t.co/bkaNTbFTxL">pic.twitter.com/bkaNTbFTxL</a></p>— Satmar Headquarters (@HQSatmar) <a href="https://twitter.com/HQSatmar/status/1003315197266808832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Last year in June, the Satmar community also gathered up around 20,000 members to protest the Israeli government attempting to conscript the ultra-Orthodox community into the Israeli Defense Forces despite religious objections. The demonstrations in the US, unlike those in Israel, luckily featured no <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/4-cops-injured-as-hundreds-of-ultra-orthodox-jews-riot-in-jerusalem/">water cannons or stun grenades aimed at the devout</a>.
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