A deadly attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney targeted a celebration, killing 16 and injuring dozens. Among the casualties was an emissary of Chabad, the global Jewish Hasidic movement. This event has brought renewed attention to Chabad’s worldwide presence and its infamous ideology.
What is Chabad?
Chabad, also known as Chabad-Lubavitch, is a Hasidic movement within Orthodox Judaism. It was founded around 1788 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in Belarus. The movement later moved to Latvia, Poland, and eventually the United States. Today, its headquarters are in Brooklyn, New York.
Chabad has expanded into a global network with more than 3,500 centers in over 85 countries. Its centers provide kosher food, prayer spaces, religious guidance, and educational services for local and traveling Jews. Chabad is unique among Hasidic groups for using modern tools to reach Jewish communities worldwide.
The movement sends emissaries, known as shluchim, often entire families, to manage local Chabad centers. This strategy has allowed Chabad to gain global influence while maintaining strict adherence to Orthodox Jewish traditions.
Ideology
Chabad promotes a fascist ideology regarding the colonization of Palestine. The movement opposes any withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and Gaza. It advocates the concept of “Greater Israel” from the Nile to the Euphrates.
Chabad believes that control over the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights is essential for Israel’s security. The movement considers the presence of Palestinians in these areas a security challenge and seeks to maintain jurisdiction under Israeli authority.
Among the views promoted by the movement is the rejection of the idea of “land for peace.” It also calls for the expulsion and killing of Arabs. According to what is stated in the book “HaTanya” (the movement’s most famous foundational text), “all non‑Jews are satanic creatures with nothing good in them at all.” The book also states that “Jews must leave the impure lands of the gentiles and settle in the holy land of Palestine.”
During the genocide in Gaza, Chabad was a key supporter of the Israeli military. It encouraged donations for its operations, and called openly for the return of Israeli settlements in Gaza. The movement also displayed symbolic flags and slogans linked to messianic beliefs, which stress divine approval of Israeli territorial control. Israeli media report that 80% of the army’s religious activities take place under the supervision of the “Chabad” movement.
Chabad has been linked to zionism and extremism. It actively promotes settlement in occupied territories and opposes Palestinian presence.
The movement has also gained financial and political support from prominent figures abroad. For example, Jared Kushner and his brother donated millions to Chabad after the death of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan in Dubai last year.
With over 3,500 centers worldwide, Chabad remains one of the largest zionist movements globally. Its combination of strict Orthodoxy, global outreach, and political activism has made it influential.
