Former Neturei Karta Leader Attacked On Air By Haredi Interviewer As “Mentally Ill,” “Sick And In Need Of Assistance”

Menachem Tucker of the haredi radio station Radio Kol Chai called former Neturei Karta head Moshe Aryeh Friedman in Antwerp, Belgium to ask him why he sued a Belzer hasidic girls school in Antwerp to force it to admit his sons as students there. And the interview got very strange very quickly.

The infamous Friedman-Ahmadinejad

Former Neturei Karta Leader Attacked On Air By Haredi Interviewer As “Mentally Ill,” “Sick And In Need Of Assistance”
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

Menachem Tucker of the haredi radio station Radio Kol Chai reportedlycalled former Neturei Karta head Moshe Aryeh Friedman in Antwerp, Belgium to ask him why he sued a Belzer hasidic girls school in Antwerp to force it to admit his sons as students there.

Friedman is notorious for meeting several times with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and hugging the virulently anti-Israel Iranian leader, although he renounced his Neturei Karta affiliation over four years ago.

Friedman’s answers to the questions about the school can basically be paraphrased (and explained) as follows.

Every other hasidic or haredi school he tried to enroll his children in refused to take them because of who their father is. This particular Belzer girl’s school did the same.

But Belgian law doesn’t permit gender discrimination in schools the state funds, and since this school takes state money, Friedman sued it knowing that there was a good chance the courts would force the girls school to educate his boys.

Friedman won that lawsuit and his boys were enrolled in the Belzer girls school earlier this week.

Friedman is now in the process of finding a boys school to sue as a way to get his daughters – who have also been banned from haredi schools – an education.

But the interview, posted as an English language partial transcript on Yeshiva World, really heated up when Tucker asked about Friedman’s meetings with Iran’s notorious leader.

Tucker:

How was it in Iran? Do you have his personal telephone? How do you meet with him? Why do you davka meet in Iran. It is the country that hates Israel more than all others.

Friedman:

I don’t have his number. It was fine there. I went there because there are many Jews. I am helping the Jews there for many years.

Tucker:

So it is not at all related to Ahmadinejad? It’s because there are Jews there and because Mordechai and Esther are buried there? Please, you are a straight person so I am asking for a direct response. How is it that one such as you makes such a chilul Hashem in the world?

Friedman:

Please be more specific.

Tucker:

I am talking about your protests at the United Nations and meeting with the haters of Israel in Iran. How can one like yourself be involved in such activities?

Friedman:

Now I understand your question. Please permit me to respond to your points. No one ever saw me take part in a protest burning Israeli flags or with Palestinians in the UN. There were a number of exceptions such as in Holland but the things you are talking about did not occur.

Tucker:

So you condemn such actions?

Friedman:

Yes I do. The things you are speaking about did not occur.

Tucker:

So what do you feel is correct regarding meeting with those who wish to kill us, the Jews? You hugged Ahmadinejad.

Friedman:

One must separate between going to the goyim and when one makes a kiddush Hashem, to help Jews. You are talking about being on the side of the goyim, a chilul Hashem.

Tucker:

Do you like Israel?

Friedman:

Yes. And at the same time when one makes a kiddush Hashem with the goyim you and others see it as a chilul Hashem and this is not so. The things you say are not true. It never happened.

Tucker:

So you are an individual, not from Belgium, not Neturei Karta, and you visited with him and hugged the hater of Israel and simply spoke about the weather. You never spoke about the Jews and Israel? What then do you speak about when you meet with him please?

Friedman:

I was very busy years ago when I helped Iranian Jews.

Tucker:

Repeat after me. “I love Israel, not Am Yisrael but Eretz Yisrael”.

Friedman:

Please do not put words into my mouth. Don’t tell me what to say. I will get into talks and negotiations on things that I see as correct.

Tucker:

Who are you and who gave you authority to enter into talks about anything? You are mentally ill, you are sick and in need of assistance.

At this point, Friedman reportedly hung up on Tucker, ending the interview.