Rabbi Dov Lando’s Private Remarks Criticizing Religious Zionism Draw Condemnation From Israeli Leaders

Rabbi Dov Lando, 96, is a prominent ultra-Orthodox leader who heads the Slabodka Yeshiva. Reports differ on how his remarks were made. Al Jazeera described a closed meeting at his home in Bnei Brak, while The Jerusalem Post described a private video recorded at the same home. Channel 12 broadcast the material, and mako.co.il, citing News 12, said the footage captured Lando addressing a small group of rabbis.

According to Al Jazeera and The Jerusalem Post, Lando criticized soldiers from the Religious Zionism movement, saying they were dying because their rabbis had taught them a distorted Torah. The Jerusalem Post reported that he accused religious Zionist rabbis of teaching “twisted Torah” that led to unnecessary loss of life. The Jewish Chronicle quoted him as saying that Israelis who fell in combat for the IDF were “killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted Torah.”

Lando’s remarks went beyond the soldiers. Al Jazeera reported that he claimed many military operations were conducted not to save lives but for the honor of the state. The Jerusalem Post reported that he expressed skepticism toward religious Zionism and questioned the role of the Israeli government and the IDF in safeguarding the nation. Mako.co.il reported that he doubted whether young Haredi men could combine Torah study with military service, asserting that only Torah scholars in yeshivas were truly safeguarding the land. The Jewish Chronicle reported that in the clip he suggested Zionism “made Arabs hate us” and brought “physical disasters” to the Jewish people.

The reports also differ on timing. Mako.co.il said the recording was made during the ongoing conflict. The Jewish Chronicle said the video was recorded approximately 18 months ago and aired by Channel 12 after resurfacing. The New Arab said the comments were recorded nearly a year and a half ago, though its account is cut off in the material available. Al Jazeera’s report, dated February 2025, framed the remarks as a row ahead of an Israeli election. Here the reports agree that the remarks concerned military service and the moral authority of rabbis, while the public exposure of the material came later than the recording.

Lando’s position within Israeli religious politics is described in different terms. The Jewish Chronicle identified him as the spiritual leader of Degel HaTorah and a key figure in the Charedi political party United Torah Judaism. The Jerusalem Post described him as a prominent figure in the Lithuanian haredi community. Each report places him within the Haredi world, though they emphasize different roles.

The New Arab’s headline stated that Lando said Arab rule was better for Jews than Zionism. The portion of its article available to this rewrite does not confirm that wording in full, so that characterization is reported here only as the headline’s claim. The headline for this story also reports condemnation from Israeli leaders. The supplied reports do not identify those leaders or describe the content of their statements.