Published September 4th, 2026 - 12:40 GMT
ALBAWABA — U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday received a group of Hasidic rabbis, including heads of the anti-Zionist Satmar movement, in the White House in what Israeli media called the first such meeting of a sitting U.S. president since 1979.Rabbis from throughout the United States gathered to discuss concerns impacting Haredi Jewish communities ahead of the Jewish New Year.Israeli media reported that Vise President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also attended.Anti-Zionist Satmar Rabbis Attend Trump MeetingThe participation of Satmar leaders was of special interest because of the movement’s anti-Zionism.The Satmar, one of the main Hasidic organizations, is opposed to the establishment of a Jewish state before the coming of the Messiah according to its religious understanding.Some of Trump’s pro-Israel allies, like conservative activist Laura Loomer, allegedly criticized their attendance. Loomer had warned before the meeting that it could offend Republican Jewish backers.But the discussions were largely about domestic American issues, rather than Israeli politics, Yedioth Ahronoth said.It was said to have discussed the housing problems of large families, probable mercy for Jewish inmates and larger tax incentives for families with more than three children.Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum also reportedly gave Trump a statement explaining the community’s concerns after providing a traditional blessing for the president.العشرات من الحاخامات اليهود يعقدون اجتماعا سريا مع الرئيس ترامب داخل البيت الأبيض، وبالإمكان رؤية الحاخامات وهم يغادرون.وسائل الإعلام كانت محظورة من الدخول أو متابعة الاجتماع، وقد وُصف الأمر بالغريب. pic.twitter.com/AWsqtTs7Nh— إياد الحمود (@Eyaaaad) September 4, 2026 Haredi Draft Crisis Looms Over Israel MeetingThe meeting was held amid a bitter debate in Israel about military service for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminar students.Teitelbaum allegedly said before heading to Washington that he planned to raise the problem with Trump and request his help. However, no post-meeting remarks confirmed that the debate over Israel’s military draft had indeed been discussed.Besides religious and community issues, the assembly had also political importance. Yedioth Ahronoth reports that several Hasidic groups have been solid voting blocs and have given Trump considerable electoral support.The uncommon White House meeting therefore brought together religion, domestic politics and the delicate gap between pro-Israel and anti-Zionist Jewish factions within Trump’s larger electoral coalition.
