Who is Dov Lando, the Israeli rabbi criticising Zionism?

One of Israel’s top ultra-Orthodox rabbis, Dov Lando, has become the centre of controversy in Israel after comments emerged in which he denigrated Zionism.In a recently released video recording, the 96-year-old rabbi is heard saying the ideology of Zionism caused the Jewish people to suffer “disasters”, and that Jewish Israelis may have been better off without a state.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Three years of Israel’s mass dispossession of West Bank Palestinianslist 2 of 3US support for Israel continues three years into the genocide in Gazalist 3 of 3Gaza war sped up India’s shift towards Israel under Modiend of listThe remarks have drawn rebukes from Israeli politicians weeks before landmark legislative elections, in which the role of the country’s growing ultra-Orthodox community – particularly over military service – is a major issue. The political alignment of ultra-Orthodox parties could also prove crucial to the formation of the next government.So, who is Lando and why are his comments significant?Who is Dov Lando?Dov Lando is a 96-year-old rabbi regarded as the leader of Israel’s Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community. Born in Poland and raised in the Lithuan...