WHAT IS ZIONISM?
There are only two real differences that distinguish between Zionism and previous messianic movements
BY AHARON E. WEXLER
JANUARY 31, 2019 11:31
4 minute read.
THE TWENTY-FIRST Zionist Congress, Geneva, 1939.. (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
One of the key divisions in Orthodoxy is its relationship to the state of Israel.
What is to be made of the strange phenomenon called Zionism? On the one hand, it embodies the hopes and dreams of our people for close to 2,000 years; on the other hand, it was created by Jews who denied God and rejected Halacha. Added to the bewilderment is the amazing success Zionism has had in establishing not only its state, but becoming a world power even while falling short of its unstated messianic goal. There are more Jews studying Torah today in the State of Israel than ever before in Jewish history. There are more synagogues, yeshivot and mikvaot – funded by the state – than in any country in the world. There are now more Jews living in the State of Israel than at any time in Jewish history. Yet, Israel still ranks too high in drug smuggling, the trafficking of women and digital piracy compared to any other country in the world. Its leaders are mostly either atheists or at best give a polite nod to religion. The vast majority of its citizens keep neither Shabbat nor kashrut.
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