Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Secular Zionism and Despair

On a tape of one of his shiurim, I heard Rabbi Yisroel Reisman explain that the Yesod, the fundamental principle, of Zionism is Yei'ush: Despair.

He offers this explanation in the context of the policies followed by the Israeli government, saying that politicians such as Shimon Peres do not advocate the policies they do because they are stupid, but rather because of the sense or principal of despair that is part of what Zionism is and where it historically comes from. Theodore Herzl's Zionism originated as a reaction--a reaction to Anti-Semitism, to a threat to Jews--seeing the only hope for Jewish survival in the creation of a Jewish State.

But today such a Zionism remains reactive instead of proactive, basing itself on the need to respond to threats in order to preserve the Jewish existence. That kind of worldview has developed into a readiness to compromise--to return land, to disengage populations, and to redefine boundaries ever more narrowly.

And just maybe, because such a Zionism sees present-day Israel as the creation of a Jewish state, rather than the re-creaction or re-estatablishment it has risked weakening itself not just geographically and politically, but philosophically as well, with the advent of the New Zionists who have turned modern Israeli history upside down and undemined Israel's moral standing--not only in her own eyes but in the eyes of the world at large.

Religious Zionists--who see Israel today as a continuation and a link of historical Israel and face the future with a sense of Emunah and the will to stand their ground...literally--cannot afford to gloat, feel superior, or separate themselves from the rest of Israelis. The need for all Israelis--and all Jews--to pull together becomes increasingly clear as the danger becomes more apparent and more outspoken, wearing increasingly sophisticated guises in order isolate and destroy both Israel and the Jews.

It is nothing new to say that at times Israel has been its own worst enemy or that the media in Israel has been a veritable wellspring of anti-Israel material for those who wish to attack her. But with Israel facing once again a critical juncture in what appears to be an endless line of critical moments in her history, Israel has the opportunity with elections coming up of changing direction and moving forward.

Jews all over the world wait to see the results of the Israeli elections and, more importantly, in the aftermath of those elections what Israelis will do in response to the expected policies.

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4 comments:

Batya said...

It's hard to know what will be good and what will be bad, since all the really horrid things were from "right wing governments." (Remember that Sharon ran as a right wing candidate.) Our right wing is much better in the opposition.

So just pray, that whatever, it will be good for Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael.

Daled Amos said...

But even those policies that came from the 'right wing governments' came from the left wing--the Disengagement (Amram Mitzna) and Oslo (Yosi Sarid).

I suppose it is better to have Likud in opposition, fighting the policies, instead of being in power putting into practice the policies they would normally be in opposition to were they still in the opposition.

Yup. That about sizes it up.

Israeli politics...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

"...politicians such as Shimon Peres do not advocate the policies they do because they are stupid..."

That's a big question. Shimon of today is not the Shimon of yesterday in any case, even if you like him a lot.

And yes, the Likud as we know it today is much better in opposition. Emeth.

Daled Amos said...

I think Rabbi Reisman's comment was intended in the sense of stupid in terms of ignorance of the facts--as opposed to oblivious to potential danger. If so, Peres would not fall into the former catagory.

I hope.