Israel bans pro-Hamas Neturei Karta leader David Weiss after meeting with Iranian foreign minister

Israeli officials have long accused the group of acting as a propaganda tool for Iran and other anti-Western regimes, with reports suggesting the group receives funding from such governments.

By Jewish Breaking News

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel has officially and permanently barred radical anti-Zionist activist David Weiss from entering Israel, citing his collaboration with extremist groups and hostile regimes, including a recent meeting with Iranian officials.

Weiss, who serves as the public face of the fringe group Neturei Karta, met earlier this month with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and, in a bizarre gesture, presented him with a bouquet of flowers—a move considered unusual in Iranian culture, where it is not customary for men to receive flowers.

“Anyone who acts against Israel and sides with its enemies will not be allowed in,” Arbel said in a firm statement.

Neturei Karta is a marginal sect known for its vocal rejection of the State of Israel and frequent participation in anti-Israel rallies alongside pro-Hamas and BDS-aligned demonstrators.

Israeli officials have long accused the group of acting as a propaganda tool for Iran and other anti-Western regimes, with reports suggesting the group receives funding from such governments.

Though their members dress in Hasidic garb, Neturei Karta is not affiliated with any mainstream Hasidic sect.

Many Orthodox Jews regard them as impostors, using traditional Jewish clothing as a costume to lend credibility to their fringe ideology.

In the United States, the group was led for years by Moshe Ber Beck of Monsey, New York, until his death in 2021.

Beck stirred controversy for meeting with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has a long history of antisemitic remarks, including describing Judaism as a “gutter religion.”

Neturei Karta’s roots trace back to a radical faction led by Moshe Hirsch, who also cultivated ties with enemies of Israel.

The decision to bar Weiss from Israel reflects the government’s broader policy of confronting internal and external actors who cooperate with hostile regimes.

Arbel’s move sends a strong message that those who align themselves with Israel’s enemies—regardless of their religious appearance—will not be granted legitimacy or entry.