Zionism – a perspective of a religious "peacenik"
Rabbi David Rosen
While the political movement known as Zionism was produced by eighteenth century rationalism and nineteenth century nationalism; without the unique historical and spiritual bond of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, those secular forces alone could never have brought about the remarkable success that this political movement eventually secured. Moreover even when the British offered the Zionist movement an alternative location in which the Jewish people could take its destiny into its own hands; this was overwhelmingly rejected by secular Zionists as well.
Zionism has always meant the return of the Jewish people to establish independent Jewish life in its ancestral homeland. However precisely the combination of the aforementioned secular forces together with the historical bonds of a religious heritage, meant that there were and are many "zionisms", or in other words different ways of understanding the character and purpose of this enterprise.
Those that call themselves "religious Zionists" see the success of the Zionist enterprise as both a manifestation of Divine fidelity to the promise of return (see Leviticus 26 v.44 & 45) and as facilitating the ability to live a full religious national life in accordance with Jewish teaching (e.g. Leviticus 20 v.22-26; see Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ketubot, folio 111) However religious Zionists are also divided in their interpretation of the meaning of the establishment of the State of Israel. There are those who see it in messianic terms as fulfillment of Divine prophecy and as the first stage in the advent of messianic restoration and universal peace; while other religious Zionists have adopted a more pragmatic approach and see the state simply in its facilitatory role as above mentioned.
However not only religious Zionists, but also secular Zionists (both of the nationalist and socialist variety) saw the establishment of the State of Israel in moral terms, guaranteeing franchise, dignity, equality before the law, education and social services to all its citizens. This spirit and vision are evidenced in Israel's Declaration of Independence which also promises freedom of worship to all the religious communities of the Land. Moreover already in its early decades Israel saw itself as having responsibility to share and offer its technological achievements to the developing world.
From a Jewish religious perspective, this ethical dimension is critical to the meaning and success of Zionism. Not only does the Torah declares that the Jewish people is ideally to dwell in the Land in order to live as a nation in accordance with the revealed Divine tenets and commandments; but that failure to do undermines the ability of the People to live in the Land and leads to exile (Leviticus loc.cit. ) Moreover this condition is overwhelmingly portrayed both in the Torah and in the Prophets in terms of the values of justice and righteousness and the social ethical precepts especially towards the vulnerable and the "other".
The Zionist movement sought from the beginning to achieve a modus vivendi both with the local Arab communities and with the Arab world. In 1919 the preeminent Arab leader, the Emir Faisal, son of the Sherif of Mecca, co-signed a document with the president of the World Zionist Organization Dr. Chaim Weizman (later to become the first president of the State of Israel) welcoming the Zionist enterprise and expressing the hope that Jews and Arabs would work together to bring about a flourishing of the region for the benefit of all. The unfolding political developments meant that that dream was lost and conflict ensued with both Arab nationalism and nascent Palestinian nationalism. This conflict has caused much bloodshed, suffering, displacement and enmity. This should be a source of much distress to us who are proud to be called Jews and Zionists, for the vision of Torah and the vision of Zionism is one in which not only Jews but all people live in peace and dignity.
Moreover the conflict has inevitably been very costly for Israeli society and not only materially. Generally, I believe that Israel can be proud of the fact that despite the conflict, it has guaranteed equality of franchise and to a very large degree equality before the law for all its citizens. However it would be disingenuous to deny that the conflict does impinge on the freedoms and opportunities of Israel's Arab citizens.
Moreover while Israel assumed control of Gaza and areas of Judea and Samaria that constitute the West Bank as a result of a successful war of self defense in 1967, the price of controlling the lives of millions of Palestinians under occupation has inevitably had a deleterious affect on the moral fibre and institutions of Israeli life. That is why in my opinion a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel is essential not only for Israel's security, for the right of Palestinian national self determination; but also for the health of Judaism, Zionism and Israel's moral character.
For the same reasons I co-founded the organization Rabbis for Human Rights, not only because I believe that Jews who are true to their religio-ethical heritage are obliged to concern themselves with the human rights of others, especially those who confront the consequences of a conflict of which we are a part; but also because the concept of human rights is ultimately indivisible. If we disregard them in one place, that disregard will come back to haunt us in another. This danger is patently obvious today to all who are not willfully blind.
There is arguably no parallel in human history to the success of Zionism in restoring the Jewish people to independent life in its ancestral homeland; just as there is no parallel to the degree of fidelity that an exiled people maintained in relation to its land for two millennia. However in order to ensure the future success of Zionism we have to find a way out of the present political stalemate, so that the land which three Faiths call holy, may be a place of flourishing for us all.
