Religion Peace and Conflict Religious Zionism

“ Can a distinction be made between religion and nationalism in Zionist history? ”

Judaism: “Judaism is the historical religious experience of the Jewish people.” ( Reform Central Conference of American Rabbis, Columbus, Ohio 1937)

Jewish beliefs: In the Unity of One God, Revelation, In the mission of Moses to pass on the Law to the Jews on mount Sinai, Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship, Messianism.

Three Fundamental aspects in Jewish Tradition: God chose His people to be a people of priests; Israel is the Jewish Holy Land (Jerusalem=Zion) Halakha’ ( in Hebrew הלכה, which means “the way to go”) is the Jewish Law.

Political Zionism: The First Zionist Congress (1897, Basle, Switzerland): 1.Creation of the State of the Jews, 2. Liberal democracy, 3. Separation between Religion and State, 4. Equal rights for Jews and non-Jews. 5. Capitalism with “Human face”, 6. Creation of the WZO, World Zionist Organization 7. Theodor Herlz (1860-1904)

Religious Zionism - R. Zevi Hirsch Kalisher (1795-1844) He wrote “Derishat Zion” , Seeking Zion, 1862, - Rabbi Samuel Mohilewer,( 1824-1898) Causes for its rise: - Dissatisfaction Judaism in its various social configurations at the middle of 19th Century in Europe - Unwillingness to revamp Judaism along the line of Haskala’ (Jewish Enlightenment) in Germany Ideological pillars: - Patriotism, -National pride -Self Determination -National language and culture.

Comparison between the two ideologies: Religious Zionism: Essential identity with Religion, No separation between national life and Halakha Through Jewish nationalism, Jews would ultimately lead back to their religious roots Redemption of the land and people Political Zionism: It aimed to create diplomatic and political prerequisites for the creation of the State of the Jews in Israel. Auto-emancipation of the Jews.

The Mizrahi party (Hebrew: המזרחי) : Rabbi Reines (1839-1915). He wrote in 1902 “Or Hadash al Tzion” (A New Light on Zion) He advocated a pragmatic Zionism in which labor and religion were fused together. 1902 in Vilna he founded the Mizrachi movement that became a distinct unit within the Zionist Organization. 1912 Kattowitz Conference, a segment of the Mizrahi broke away and formed the Agudat Organization aimed to offer an umbrella organization for the Orthodox Jews against Zionism.

The Mizrahi party in the Yishuv: 1920s-1930s the moderate stance of Rabbi Reines changed under the influence of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935): he introduced a strong maximalist component in the movement. Rabbi Kook was the founder of the of the Religious Zionist Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem in 1924 His followers today are known as Hardali: they combine religious passion fro the land of Israel and disdain for institutions of the State. 1921 Mizrahi signed a contract with the WZO for founding religious settlements in Palestine.(Moshavim)

The Mizrahi in the making of Israel (1948): When the British Mandate failed to create suitable conditions for the creation of Israel, the Mizrahi joined the secular anti-British Jewish movements. Religious Zionism followed the enthusiasm of Ben Gurion’s 1942 “Biltmore Plan” for the establishment of a sovereign Jewish State in Palestine. 1948 Independence war led by Ben Gurion tightened alliance between Mizrahi party and Mapai until 1967. 1948 About 40 rabbis closed to the Ha-Po’el Mizrahi established a rabbinical body to propose a status quo for religion. Struggle over “Who is a Jew”.

Extremist groups within the Mizrahi in Israel: Lehi (1940) founded by Avraham Stern. He was from the Yeshiva Merkaz Harov. (strongly influenced by Jabotinski revisionism) Brit Hashmonaim was an organization founded in 1937 by a group of religious youngsters in order to educate youth in the Hasmoean tradition of uncompromising struggle for freedom. Rabbi Moshe Halevi Segal was a member of this group. 1944 the Brit Hashmonaim joined the Lehi and from such a union the Lehi Religious wing was founded. Segal was the first settler in the freed of the Jewish Quarter of Old Jerusalem after 1967.

The effects of Six Days War (1967): Turning point in Religious Zionist Movement. Kook advocated political fundamentalism or operative messianism. Kook’s followers pushed the Israeli Government to resettle Gush Etzion, a pre-1948 Agricultural area that was conquered by the Jordan Arab league during the war 1968 Rabbi Levinger and 79 followers settled illegally in Hebron and they settled in Kiryat Arba.

The settlement Movement: The near-disaster of the Yom Kippur War (1973) had shown that it was essential to act immediately in order to hasten the redemptive process, which the policies of the "false" secular Zionism had retarded, Gush Enumin (1974) It first emerged as part of the NRP and later became an independent body, They wanted to continue the tradition of settlement in the heart of Samaria and Judea. Their action were considered illegal.

Radical Religious Zionism: 1971 Rabbi Meir Kahane, head of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) moved to Israel. His maximalism had the root in his American experience in the 1960s, Lower Jewish class, Slogan: “Never Again”, Ideology: 1. To defend the Jews: “Jewish violence to protect Jewish interests is never bad.” 2. Own version of catastrophic Zionism.

Kach (Thus!) 1975: His aim was to violently polarize the relationship between Arab and Jews in West Bank, Camp David Accord (1978) radicalized the position of the movement, 1984 Elected in the Knesset: 25, 906 people voted for him. 1994 The Israeli Government following statements in support of B. Goldstein’s massacre of 29 Palestinians, banned the movement.

Israel today: Occupied Territories Arab Population Gaza 21 7.500 Number of settlements Number of Jewish settlers Arab Population Gaza 21 7.500 1.275.000 Golan 30 20.000 West Bank 140 201.000 2.237.000 Jerusalem 9 170.000 200.000 Total 200 398.500 3.732.000

Declaration of Independence in 1948: “The State of Israel will be open to Jewish immigration and the ingathering of exiles; will strive to develop the land for the benefit of all her inhabitants; will be founded on the principles of freedom, justice and peace in the spirit of the visions of the Prophets of Israel; will implement equality of complete social and national rights for all her citizens without distinction between religion, race and gender; will promise freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; will protect the religious places of all the religions; and will be loyal to the principles of the declaration of the United Nations.”

"If I knew that it was possible to save all the children of Germany by transporting them to England, and only half by transferring them to the Land of Israel, I would choose the latter, for before us lies not only the numbers of these children but the historical reckoning of the people of Israel."
-- David Ben-Gurion (Quoted on pp 855-56 in Shabtai Teveth's Ben-Gurion in a slightly different translation). "This country exists as the fulfillment of a promise made by God Himself. It would be ridiculous to ask it to account for its legitimacy."
-- Golda Meir, Le Monde, 15 October 1971 "The Partition of Palestine is illegal. It will never be recognized .... Jerusalem was and will for ever be our capital. Eretz Israel will be restored to the people of Israel. All of it. And for Ever."
-- Menachem Begin, the day after the U.N. vote to partition Palestine. "The settlement of the Land of Israel is the essence of Zionism. Without settlement, we will not fulfill Zionism. It's that simple."
-- Yitzhak Shamir, Maariv, 02/21/1997. "Israel may have the right to put others on trial, but certainly no one has the right to put the Jewish people and the State of Israel on trial."-- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, 25 March, 2001 quoted in BBC News Online

“ Can a distinction be made between religion and nationalism in Zionist history? ”