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A wave of excitement is gripping parts of the hareidi religious world as a historic reconciliation between the hassidic dynasties of Belz and Satmar is underway.

The Admor of Belz sent a delegation of ten dayanim (rabbinic judges), headed by his personal assistant, to the graves of Satmar Admorim, Baal Ha"Divrei Yoel" and Baal Ha"Berach Moshe," at the Kiryas Yoel cemetery in New York City.

The dayanim read chapters of Tehillim (Psalms) and lit candles for the souls of the Admorim, in the name of the Admor of Belz, Rav Yissachar Dov ben Miriam. "We are emissaries of our Rabbi Yissachar Dov Ben Miriam, we have come to ask forgiveness and pardon for what has hurt your dignity," they said.

This request of forgiveness is expected to pave the way to the historic reconciliation between the dynasties. The Admor of Satmar is planning to visit Israel next month and a meeting between the two Admorim is expected.   

A blog called Shearim explains that at the beginning of the 1980s, the Belz dynasty left the anti-Zionist Edah Charedit and joined Agudat Yisrael, which has a Knesset party that is now called "Yahadut HaTorah" and is run by the Gur, Vishnitz and Belz dynasties as well as "some litvishe Rabbis."

"The Edah went wild because they considered the Belzer as [a] traitor who ran over to Zionism" and agreed to take part in the State of Israel. "A war took place between Satmar, the Toldot Aharon and Belz."

However, today the Vishnitzer Rebbe Moshe Yehoshua Hager has four daughters. "One daughter is married to the present Belzer Rebbe. Another daughter is married to the Satmarer Rebbe Aharon Teitelbaum. The third daughter is married to the Skverer Rebbe of New Square and the fourth daughter is married to the Vishnitzer Rosh Yeshiva (Bnei Brak), Rabbi Ernster."

"Lets thus have a look at the facts: The Belzer Rebbe as well as one of the two present Satmarer Rebbes, Rabbi Aharon Teitelbaum, are related through their wives. Are they still enemies?"

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/151825