Conservatism in Israel
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Conservatism in Israel |
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Conservatism in Israel is mostly based around upholding
History
Ancient Judean conservatism
Conservatism has been a major philosophy in Jewish society in the region going back to the Sadducees during the Second Temple period. The Sadducees were aristocrats during the Hasmonean dynasty who were sympathetic to Hellenization and Hellenized Judaism and sought to promote the interests of the priestly Kohen class, including the High Priest, or Kohen Gadol.[2][3]
Conservatism in Mandatory Palestine
Revisionist Zionism and conservatism
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Revisionist Zionism was born as an ideology calling for the entire
During the Mandate period, the early foundations of conservatism were being built by political parties like Hatzohar and Agudat Yisrael, as well as by the paramilitary group Irgun. Hatzohar, which was founded by Ze'ev Jabotinsky in 1923, called for the immediate establishment of the State of Israel "on both sides of the Jordan".[7][8] Jabotinsky himself was a supporter of Western-style liberal conservatism and national liberalism, synthesizing them into his personal understanding of Revisionism.[9] In 1925, Jabotinsky founded Betar as the youth wing of the party. However, Betar would gain influence beyond the party, becoming a major Jewish youth group in its own right, surviving long after Hatzohar itself was dissolved. After Jabotinsky's death in 1940, Irgun leader Menachem Begin took over Hatzohar, using it effectively as the political arm of his organization.[10]
In Israel's early history as an independent state, Revisionist Zionism was not nearly as powerful of a political force as socialism and Labor Zionism. Herut, a party founded by former members of the Irgun, mostly remained as an opposition party throughout the 1940s through 1960s. It eventually formed a coalition, Gahal, with the Israeli Liberal Party, which would eventually become Likud in 1973.[11] Revisionist Zionism has historically been the ideology associated with the Likud party, especially under Begin's leadership.[12]
Jewish religious conservatism in Israel
![Large crowd of young men, dressed in black](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%92%D7%A0%D7%AA_%D7%94%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%93_%D7%92%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A1_%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%99_%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA.jpg/290px-%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%92%D7%A0%D7%AA_%D7%94%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%93_%D7%92%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A1_%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%99_%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA.jpg)
Most Haredi Jews in Israel are generally religiously conservative, with some expressing right-wing Zionist perspectives while others take non-Zionist or even anti-Zionist perspectives.
Non-Zionism
Agudat Yisrael, a religiously conservative and Hasidic party in Israel, takes a more pragmatic stance towards Israel. It does not associate any particular religious meaning, negative or positive, to the State of Israel,[13] and thus while not anti-Zionist, cannot be considered fully Zionist either. This position is referred to Da'at Torah (literally "the opinion of the Torah"), which sees the Torah as supreme above all political decisions, more so than any version of nationalism or anti-nationalism.[14]
Religious Zionism
Religious Zionists also adhere to Jewish religious conservatism. For example,
Anti-Zionism
There are also ultraconservative factions of Israeli society which are anti-Zionist. Neturei Karta is a Haredi anti-Zionist and ultraconservative group which split off from Agudat Yisrael due to its leniency towards Zionism.[18] However, Neturei Karta are seen as extreme by most Jews, including fellow Haredi anti-Zionists. A more mainstream Haredi anti-Zionist group would be the Satmar Hasidic dynasty. Nonetheless, the basis of both of these groups is the Three Oaths, which mandates divine punishment to any Jews attempting to rebuild a Jewish state or homeland. Both Satmar and Neturei Karta agree that the Holocaust was divine punishment from God for Zionism, something all other religious Jewish groups reject.[19]
"Neo-Zionism"
"Neo-Zionism" is a term often used to refer to a more generic form of Israeli
Arab and Islamic conservatism in Israel
Conservatism in Israel is not limited to Israeli Jews, as there are many Israeli Arabs who are conservative as well. Mansour Abbas split from the Arab, secular, and mostly left-wing Joint List coalition over his advocacy for conversion therapy. Abbas' political party, the United Arab List, or Ra'am, is a socially conservative and moderate Islamist party focusing on anti-LGBT policies, law and order, and supporting a two-state solution.[23] Ra'am mostly gains support from Bedouin Arabs living in the Negev.[24]
Criticism
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Conservatism in Israel has received criticism from both Zionists and anti-Zionists alike, especially over issues such as supporting the influence of the
See also
- Hardal
- Islamic Movement in Israel
- Jewish conservatism
- Neo-Zionism
- Orthodox Judaism
- Sephardic Haredim
Notes
References
- ^ Klein, Seth D. Kaplan, Yitzhak (20 August 2020). "The Rise of Conservatism in Israel". American Affairs Journal.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Denova, Rebecca. "Sadducees". World History Encyclopedia.
- ^ "The Constitution of Judea (103-6 BCE)". 10 January 2020.
- ^ Shelef, Nadav G. (2004). "From "Both Banks of the Jordan" to the "Whole Land of Israel:" Ideological Change in Revisionist Zionism". Israel Studies. pp. 125–148.
- ^ Ze'ev, Jabotinsky. "Vladimir Jabotinsky: The Iron Wall - We and the Arabs (1923)". www.marxists.org.
- ^ Zouplna, Jan (2008). "Revisionist Zionism: Image, Reality and the Quest for Historical Narrative". Middle Eastern Studies. pp. 3–27.
- ^ "Ze'ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
- ^ Troy, Gil (2018). "The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland—Then, Now, Tomorrow". University of Nebraska Press.
- ^ Troy, Gil (2018). "The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland—Then, Now, Tomorrow". University of Nebraska Press.
- ^ Shelef, Nadav G. (2004). "From "Both Banks of the Jordan" to the "Whole Land of Israel:" Ideological Change in Revisionist Zionism". Israel Studies. pp. 125–148.
- ^ "Herut Movement". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
- ^ Shlaim, Avi (1996). "The Likud in Power: The Historiography of Revisionist Zionism". Israel Studies. pp. 278–293.
- ^ "Aguddat Israel Political Party". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
- ^ Brown, Benjamin (2014). "Jewish Political Theology: The Doctrine of "Daՙat Torah" as a Case Study". The Harvard Theological Review. pp. 255–289.
- ^ Goodman, Micah; Levy, Eylon (2020). "The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity". Yale University Press.
- ^ Lipner, Shalom (2023). "Netanyahu's coalition isn't built to last: Expect high sparks within and fragile prospects for Israel's incoming government". Atlantic Council.
- ^ Willis, Aaron (1992). "Redefining Religious Zionism: Shas' Ethno-politics". Israel Studies Bulletin. pp. 3–8.
- ^ Lamm, Norman (1971). "THE IDEOLOGY OF THE NETUREI KARTA: According to the Satmarer Version". Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought. pp. 38–53.
- ^ Lamm, Norman (1971). "THE IDEOLOGY OF THE NETUREI KARTA: According to the Satmarer Version". Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought. pp. 38–53.
- .
- .
- ^ Ben-Porat, Guy; Yuval, Fany (2007). "Israeli Neo-conservatism: Rise and Fall?". Israel Studies Forum. pp. 3–25.
- ^ "United Arab List (Ra'am) Political Party". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
- ^ "Understanding Israel's Political Parties: From Bibi to Abbas". 19 May 2021.