FAQ # 4 - Religious Zionism & Disengagement
Religious Zionism is not a monolithic bloc in Israeli society, nor does it
have total identity with the NRP (Mafdal)*. This public is, however, a constituency
of possibly ~10->12% of the Israeli population, and largely sympathizes
with settlement, whether it is strongly oppositionist to Disengagement, or
not.
*The NRP almost split over the initial government vote on Disengagement,
but is now co-existing in the Opposition as one faction; in previous elections,
some members moved to more right-wing parties, largely because of the potential
constituency of support in Judea, Samaria, & the Gaza Strip.
Far from all Israelis living in the Gaza Strip and N. Samaria settlements
are religious [See Table in Timeline] and the population base is far wider,
including the history of the Gush
Emunim lobby. [See also: Gush
Emunim]
- While most of the religious Israelis in the settlements are religious
Zionists by self-definition, some of them support parties like Ichud Le'umi-Yisrael
Beiteinu, many the NRP, and some the Likud.
- Many of the Hesder Yeshivot (for combined IDF service with Yeshiva studies)
are right wing, but not all of them. This led directly to a recent IDF decision
to spread Hesder groups more widely in the IDF, in the future (but not to
disband the Hesder format!).
- The definitive right wing of the NRP is headed by MK Effi Eitam, and the
NRP's spiritual leader, former Chief Rabbi Shapiro.
- Most of the Bnei Akiva Religious Zionist youth movement also strongly
opposes Disengagement, and it has members throughout Israel;
- Most Ulpanot and Religious Zionist Women's Colleges of Higher Education
are similarly aligned.
However, there is a great distance between the overall identification with
the love of Eretz Yisrael or pioneering and an actual crisis: far from all
Religious Zionists are forthright right-wingers, and it remains to be seen
whether the formal leadership really represents their constituency and whether
the constituency will influence the leaadership. Religious Zionists inside
the Green Line, or even in the established communities of Gush Etzion and
of the Disputed Territories, may also lean more centrally.
Religious Zionism has not lost its centre-left roots, either:
- MK Rabbi Michael Melchior has aligned his
small Meimad Party with the Israel Labor Party; (see below)
- Netivot Hashalom, a religious lobby that campaigned for territorial compromise,
is also centre-left.
- A new social Religious Zionist movement has emerged that places the emphasis
on moral and social issues and resolving Israeli society's problems, in order
to create a better and more just society (Tikkun Olam). Many middle generation
and young rabbis have joined this small movement and it is attracting the
socially conscious religious public, who feel that these are the country's
priorities today.
- Rabbi Dr. Benny Lau appealed for responsibility, law and order.
- The Religious Kibbutz movement (Hakibbutz Hadati) has an organized right
wing and a moderate centre-left constituency: at a recent 75th anniversary
celebration, the political tone was mute and there were no political speeches.
- Bnei Akiva Yeshivot (offering 2 years of Yeshiva and 3 years of IDF service)
are also more moderate than many of the Hesder Yeshivot.
What is fairly clear is that there will be a very difficult period during
and after Disengagement, when the most vocal campaigners who opposed the Plan
will be under considerable pressure. It is too early to speculate how the
Religious Zionist public at large will come out of this period.
MK Michael Melchior answered these questions in online interviews for the
Haaretz newspaper. [Link]
We also offer a range of articles that express ideas, tensions and opinions:
by Gila Ansell Brauner