A planned White House meeting between President Donald Trump and the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum of Kiryas Yoel, has sparked a fierce public dispute, with conservative activist Laura Loomer attacking the invitation and questioning why the Rebbe is being given access to the president, radio host Sid Rosenberg joining the criticism, and Satmar Headquarters firing back by pointing to Kiryas Yoel’s overwhelming electoral support for Trump.

The controversy erupted after Loomer wrote on X that the Rebbe is expected to meet with President Trump on Thursday and asserted that White House Jewish Liaison Martin Marks had arranged the meeting. Loomer sharply criticized Marks over the invitation and claimed that the Rebbe intends to use the meeting to urge Trump to intervene with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu over the drafting of yeshiva students in Eretz Yisroel.

Loomer wrote: “BREAKING: White House Jewish Liason Martin Marks appears to be setting President Trump up for a political crisis. Satmar Rebbe, one of the leaders of the haredi movement that rejects the State of Israel has been invited by Marks to meet with @POTUS on Thursday. @martinjmarks

“These are anti-Israel pro-Mamdani rabbis who are being hosted with open arms in the Oval Office. Did anyone bother to do any vetting? The Grand Rabbi of Satmar was reportedly invited to the White House by Martin Marks and plans to ask President Trump to pressure Israeli PM Netanyahu @netanyahu to end the draft of ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students, as reported in Hasidic news outlets.

Loomer cotninued: “Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, the Grand Rabbi of Satmar in Kiryas Joel, previously directed his representatives to endorse jihadist Zohran Mamdani @ZohranKMamdani for NYC Mayor and supported Kathy Hochul against Lee Zeldin @epaleezeldin for NY Governor in 2022. He then said Mamdani isn’t an anti-Semite, which is outrageous. I am told that endorsements for GOP candidates are NOT currently on the agenda for this meeting, per White House sources. Why is White House staffer @martinjmarks scheduling precious face time between President Trump and anti-Israel lunatic Democrat rabbis who are frowned upon by majority of the Jewish community? Who will Martin Marks invite to the White House to meet with President Trump next, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed? @AbdulElSayed

“Bizarre things are happening at the White House this week and I don’t think anyone has told President Trump. This is going to severely [anger] the Jewish Republicans in the MAGA base who voted for President Trump. It’s also going to create tension with world leaders ahead of Rosh Hashanah.”

Loomer’s broadside was followed by an even more heated reaction from Sid Rosenberg, the New York radio personality and outspoken Trump supporter. Rosenberg took direct aim at the Satmar Rebbe and urged Marks to reconsider the meeting, using unusually harsh language in his X post.

“This is a HUGE mistake!!! This Rabbi is a TERRIBLE guy and has no right being anywhere near @POTUS! …Come on Marty! You can’t do this! Please!!!! I kill this guy and @rabbiindig on my show all the time! The worst Jews have to offer!!!”

The attacks prompted a public response from Satmar Headquarters, which addressed Loomer directly and disputed the political picture she presented of the Rebbe’s community.

Satmar’s response focused particularly on the voting record of Kiryas Yoel and the Town of Palm Tree, home to Rav Aharon Teitelbaum and a major center of Satmar Chassidus. The statement argued that the community has demonstrated exceptionally strong support for Trump in presidential elections and urged Loomer to examine the actual voting record.

Satmar Headquarters wrote:

“Dear @LauraLoomer

“We appreciate your concerns regarding the recent invitation extended to the Grand Rebbe of Satmar, Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum, to meet with President Trump. However, it’s important to clarify regarding the community of Town of Palm Tree and Village of Kiryas Joel, the seat of Grand Rebbe Aron which is home to a significant number of Satmar Hasidim. Historically, Palm Tree/Kiryas Joel leadership has shown strong support for President Trump in both recent presidential elections, voting overwhelmingly in his favor—more than any other Jewish community in the nation. This demonstrates a deep commitment to his leadership and policies within our community. We encourage you to fact-check the voting trends and sentiments of Kiryas Joel residents. Engaging in respectful dialogue about our community’s perspectives can foster better understanding and unity during these complex times. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we hope for a constructive conversation moving forward. Best, @HQSatmar”

The dispute highlights the complicated political position occupied by Satmar. Satmar is famously and ideologically opposed to Zionism and the State of Israel on religious grounds, while the heavily Chassidic Kiryas Joel community has simultaneously delivered enormous margins for Trump in presidential elections. Its political activity on the state and local levels, however, has not always aligned with Republican candidates.

Loomer’s criticism centered heavily on those distinctions, particularly the Satmar leadership’s relationships with Democratic politicians and its position regarding Zohran Mamdani. She also sought to frame the planned meeting as potentially problematic for Trump’s relationship with pro-Israel supporters.

The immediate issue expected to be raised at the White House, according to Loomer and reports she referenced, is the ongoing battle in Israel over the draft of yeshiva students. The issue has become an extraordinary point of concern throughout the Chareidi world as arrests and enforcement measures against yeshiva bochurim have intensified.

Rav Aharon Teitelbaum has been among the prominent Chassidic leaders speaking out against efforts to draft yeshiva students, and the reported White House meeting would provide an opportunity to bring those concerns directly to President Trump.

Satmar’s public response did not address the substance of what Rav Aharon plans to discuss with Trump or dispute that the draft issue could be raised. Instead, its statement concentrated on rejecting Loomer’s portrayal of the community’s relationship with Trump and emphasized the extraordinary margins the president has received from voters in Kiryas Joel.

The increasingly heated exchange now places additional attention on Thursday’s expected meeting.

{Matzav.com}