Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:34:50 GMT



The family of a Chabad Center victim has refused to accept an Israeli representative in their son's funeral, saying he was anti-Zionist.

The family of Hasid Aryeh Leib Teitelbaum, who was killed in Mumbai attacks last week, also refused to allow the coffin of their son to be covered with Israeli flag.

"Holding a Zionist funeral for Teitelbaum, who was a Satmar Hasid, would desecrate the dead man's honor," Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot quoted a family member as saying.

"I'm sending a message from the family. We don't want the State to meddle in our grief. Suddenly Israel has an interest to show the world that it is also a victim of global jihad, so it decides to throw a big ceremony with a coffin wrapped in a flag. We object to this. It pains us and offends our values," Shmuel Pfenheim of the Haredi Community anti-Zionist stream was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

He added that he himself had been an American citizen, and although he had a resident in Israel he wasn't an Israeli national.

Unidentified gunmen attacked Mumbai's Chabad center on Wednesday night. At least nine people were killed in the attack.

SB/DT



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