|
The Religious Zionist Movement, or Religious Zionism is an idealogy combining Zionism and Judaism, which offers Zionism based on the principles of Jewish religion and heritage.
 Kippot Sruggot: Modern Orthodox Jewish students carry the flag of Israel at a public parade. Ideology
The Religious Zionist Movement is a faction within the Zionist movement which justifies the Zionist efforts to build a Jewish state in the land of Israel on the basis of the Judaism. The main ideologist of the religious Zionism was Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook who justified Zionism according to Jewish religion and urged young religious Jews to support the Zionist efforts to settle Israel and effect the secular Labour Zionists to pay more attention and thoughtfulness toward Judaism.
Rabbi Kook saw Zionism as a part of a divine scheme which will result at the end in resettling of the Jewish people in its homeland and as a result will bring salvation ("Geula") to Jews, and then to the entire nations. After world harmony will be achieved because of the refoundation of the Jewish Israel, the Messiah will come.
Religious Jews believe that since the land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael) was given to the ancient Israelites by God, the right of the Jews to that land is permanent and inalienable. To generations of diaspora Jews, Zion has been a symbol of the Holy Land and of their return to it, as promised by God in Biblical prophecies. (See also Jerusalem, Jews and Judaism)
Despite this, many religious Jews were not enthusiastic about Zionism before the 1930s, and many religious organisations opposed it on the grounds that an attempt to re-establish Jewish rule in Israel by human agency is blasphemous, since only the Messiah can accomplish this. They considered it religiously forbidden to try and hasten the salvation and the coming of the Messiah. They saw Zionism as an expression of disbelief in God's salvation and power, and therefore as a rebellion against God. Rabbi Kook developed a theological answer to that claim, which gave Zionism a religious legitimation.
Rabbi Kook answer was the following:
- Zionism was not merely a political movement form by secular Jews. It was actually a tool of God to promote his divine scheme and to initiate the return of the Jews to their homeland - the land he promised to Abraham, Izhak and Jacob. God wants the children of Israel to returm into their home in order to establish a Jewish soverign state in which Jews could live according to the laws of Torah and Halacha and commit the Mitzvot of Eretz Israel (these are religious commandments which can be performed only in the land of Israel). Moreover, to cultivate the land of Israel was a Mitzva by itself and it should be carried. Therefore, settling Israel is an oblegation of the religious Jews and helping Zionism is actually following God's will.
Another big problem of religious Jews with Zionism is that Zionism was largely composed from secular Jews, and in some cases - was atheist in its point of view. The atheism of the early Zionism was imported from Marxism by the Socialist Zionism which saw Zionism as an avant garde effort of building an advance socialist society on the land of Israel, while solving the antisemitism problem. The Kibbutz is a good example of Socialist Zionism: those were communal settlements set to fulfil national goals, in which no Jewish law was observed (such as Kosher food). Rabbi Kook had answer to this as well:
- Secular Zionists may think they do it from political, national or socialist reason, but in fact - the actual reason for them coming to resettle in Israel is a religious Jewish spark ("Nitzotz") in their soul, planted by God. Without their knowledge, they contributing the divine scheme and actually commiting a great Mitzva.
- The role of religious Zionists is to help them to establish a Jewish state and turn the religious spark in them into a great light. They should show them that the real source of Zionism and the long for Zion is Judaism and teach them Torah with love and kindness. In the end, they will understand that the laws of Torah are the key for a true harmony and socialist state (not in the Marxist meaning) that will be a light for the "goyim" and bring salvation to the world.
Professor Shlomo Avineri explains the last part of Kook's answer:
- וסופם של חלוצים אלה, המגששים בעוורון החילוניות, אך האור הגנוז שבהם מוליכם אל דרך הגאולה - סופם ש"מלא-לשמו" יגיעו "לשמו" -עמוד 222
- Translation:
- "... and the end of those pioneers, who scout into the blindness of secularism and atheism, but the treasured light inside them leads them into the path of salvation - their end is that from doing Mitzva without purpose, they will do Mitzva with a purpose." (page 222, 1)
History and organizations
The first Rabbis who supported Zionism were Rabbi Yehuda Shlomo Elkalay and Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Klisher. They argued that the changes in the status of Western Europe's Jews following the emancipation are the first step toward salvation (גאולה) and that therefore one must hasten the messianic salvation by a natural salvation — whose main pillars are Kibbutz Galuyut ("Gathering of the Exiles"), the return to Eretz Israel, agricultural work (עבודת אדמה) and the revival of the Hebrew language as everyday tongue.
The Mizrachi (acronym for Merkaz Ruchani or "religious centre") is the name of the religious Zionist organization founded in 1902 in Vilna at a world conference of religious Zionists called by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines. It operates a youth movement, Bnei Akiva which was founded in 1929.
Mizrachi believes that the Torah should be at the centre of Zionism and also sees Jewish nationalism as a tool for achieving religious objectives. The Mizrachi party was the first official religious Zionist party and founded the Ministry of Religion in Israel and pushed for laws enforcing kashrut and the observance of the sabbath. It also played a role prior to the creation of the state of Israel in building a network of religious schools that exist to this day.
Major figures in the religious Zionist movement include Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook who became the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine in 1924 and tried to reconcile Zionism with Orthodox Judaism.
Mizrachi had a separate trade union wing, founded in 1921, called Hapo'el Hamizrachi which represented religious Jews in the Histadrut and tried to attract religious Labour Zionists.
In 1956, Mizarchi, Hapoel Hamizrachi and other religious Zionists formed the National Religious Party or Mafdal to advance the rights of religious Jews in Israel.
The flag religious institution of the religious Zionist movement is "Merkaz ha-Rav" Yeshiva, which supplied the religious Zionist movement most of its Rabbis and scholars.
Religious Zionism today
Religious Zionists are often called "Kippot Sruggot" because of the knitted skull caps that they wear. In Israel, different factions of Orthodox Judaism can be distinguished by the headgear of its members (such as Haredi Ashkenazi, Haredi Mizrahi, Hassidic etc).
Politics
Most religious Zionists are right wing supporters and vote for the Mafdal (National Religious Party), Likud (Conservative party) and National Union (nationalist party). However, there is a small minority of left wing religious Zionists. They are headed by Rabbi Michael Malkior and represented by the Meimad party (ran together with the Israeli Labor party).
Many of the religious Zionist are settlers in the Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Many others are supporters of the settlers movement Gush Emunim.
See also: Mafdal and Gush Emunim.
Military service
The military service is an important value among religious Zionists and in recent years they gained majority in the Israeli Defence Forces NCOs' and petty officers' staff. They have high presence in combat units and are considered by IDF officers and commanders as quality soldiers and officers.
Female religious Zionists are exempt from military service, but do a two-year national service instead (such as working at hospitals, schools and day-care centers).
Notable religious Zionist figures
This is a list of current notable religious Zionist leaders. The list is sorted lexiographicly according to the last name.
- Rabbi Shlomo Avinar - head of "Ateret Kohanim" Yeshiva and pillar idealog of the Religious Zionist Movement
- Rabbi Chaim Drukman - former member of Mafdal
- Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu - the unofficial spiritual leader of the Mafdal
- Efi Eitam - IDF war hero and the leader of the Mafdal.
- Rabbi Michael Malkior - leader of Meimad (left wing religious Zionism).
- Zvulon Orlev - the leader of the Mafdal "pragmatist" faction.
- Rabbi Yuval Sherlo - "pragmatist" religious Zionist Rabbi
- Rabbi Abraham Shpira - the spiritual leader of the Religious Zionism and the head of "Merkaz ha-Rav" Yeshiva.
See also
External links
References
- "The Zionist Idea and its variations" - professor Shlomo Avineri, Am Oved publishing, chapter 17: "Rabbi Kook - the dialection in salvation"
| 
