I don't really consider myself a Religious Zionist, despite being religious and a Zionist, at least partly for the reasons you write. Related to them is the messianism that characterises the movement today and leads to advocating all kind of irrational gambles and even immoral behaviour in the belief that Mashiach is just around the corner. Some humility in the movement's leaders regarding whether they are actually doing the will of G-d or just deluding themselves wouldn't go amiss either.
I appreciate the balance and nuance that Religious Zionism used to project and that you describe in your article. The current orgy of self assuredness and religious self satisfaction that we are witnessing in the Religious Zionist community in the past few weeks is an embarrassment.
As a Religious Zionist, I am also deeply saddened that some extremist elements within the community have hijacked the whole movement, and even had the Chutzpa to rename their party "The Religious Zionist Party" as if their ideology represents the entire Religious Zionist movement.
The RZ party is a far cry from the NLP (Mafdal) of yesteryear, they are an outgrowth of Tekuma, Moledet, and Kach, which historically were regarded as a fringe movement within the RZ community.
Bnei Akiva and Mafdal of the 60s and 70s was dominated by a Religious-Socialist-Zionist approach, and was closely associated with the Religious Kibbutz Movement. It is only with the decline of socialism in the 70s and 80s that the left wing ideology of Mafdal was gradually replaced with the Messianism of Gush Emunim.
It is our responsibility as moderates within the RZ community to reclaim our place within the movement and not hand it over to the extreme right.
You may find of interest the new book Frayed: The Disputes Unraveling Religious Zionists by Yair Ettinger. It looks at the religious Zionist community in depth. Link to book here: https://bit.ly/45QVN7s
I don't really consider myself a Religious Zionist, despite being religious and a Zionist, at least partly for the reasons you write. Related to them is the messianism that characterises the movement today and leads to advocating all kind of irrational gambles and even immoral behaviour in the belief that Mashiach is just around the corner. Some humility in the movement's leaders regarding whether they are actually doing the will of G-d or just deluding themselves wouldn't go amiss either.
Absolutely.
I appreciate the balance and nuance that Religious Zionism used to project and that you describe in your article. The current orgy of self assuredness and religious self satisfaction that we are witnessing in the Religious Zionist community in the past few weeks is an embarrassment.
Sadly, I agree 100%.
Thank you for writing this.
As a Religious Zionist, I am also deeply saddened that some extremist elements within the community have hijacked the whole movement, and even had the Chutzpa to rename their party "The Religious Zionist Party" as if their ideology represents the entire Religious Zionist movement.
The RZ party is a far cry from the NLP (Mafdal) of yesteryear, they are an outgrowth of Tekuma, Moledet, and Kach, which historically were regarded as a fringe movement within the RZ community.
Bnei Akiva and Mafdal of the 60s and 70s was dominated by a Religious-Socialist-Zionist approach, and was closely associated with the Religious Kibbutz Movement. It is only with the decline of socialism in the 70s and 80s that the left wing ideology of Mafdal was gradually replaced with the Messianism of Gush Emunim.
It is our responsibility as moderates within the RZ community to reclaim our place within the movement and not hand it over to the extreme right.
You may find of interest the new book Frayed: The Disputes Unraveling Religious Zionists by Yair Ettinger. It looks at the religious Zionist community in depth. Link to book here: https://bit.ly/45QVN7s