Ahead of elections planned for October 27 in Israel, anti-Zionist Satmar Jews plan to pay $200 each to citizens who provide a written pledge not to vote.
Israelis seeking to receive the incentive are expected to complete a form containing a pledge not to vote. Cash distribution is planned to begin during the night.
To be administered through Saf Shekel
The payment plan is expected to be implemented through the Saf Shekel charity fund, overseen by U.S.-based community leader Zalman Leib Teitelbaum. The fund was established to support religious institutions that refuse to receive state funding.
The history of the Satmar community
The Satmar Jews, one of the largest branches of Hasidic Judaism, emerged in the early 1900s in a region that was then within the borders of Austria-Hungary and is known today as Romania.
Following World War II, the community migrated to the United States and established a large congregation in Brooklyn, New York. Satmar Jews are known for their strict religious observance, their stance toward modern culture and their rejection of the State of Israel and Zionism.