Modern political Zionism is based on the hope that Jews do not need Judaism to survive as Jews, something that is impossible long-term.
Religious Jews respond to the secular State of Israel basically in one of three ways:
1) The State of Israel is the precursor to the Messianic Age and should be supported wholeheartedly.
2) The State of Israel does not *necessarily* have any messianic implications, but it is a place of refuge for persecuted Jews and home to almost half the Jews in the world and deserves support for those reasons.
3) The State of Israel is just another nation under non-Jewish sovereignty, but the Land of Israel is still holy and it is meritorious to live there regardless of the sinful nature of its government, which does not merit support.
Thank you for taking my post seriously and for
offering a cogent reply. You seem to be saying
what I am beginning to understand; there is a
difference between Judaism and Zionism. For the
moment I agree with your second definition.
Don’t you wish more people would read the article
before responding?
“Religious Jews respond to the secular State of Israel basically in one of three ways:
1) The State of Israel is the precursor to the Messianic Age and should be supported wholeheartedly.
2) The State of Israel does not *necessarily* have any messianic implications, but it is a place of refuge for persecuted Jews and home to almost half the Jews in the world and deserves support for those reasons.
3) The State of Israel is just another nation under non-Jewish sovereignty, but the Land of Israel is still holy and it is meritorious to live there regardless of the sinful nature of its government, which does not merit support.”
Great post. I concur. Not sure where I fall on 1-3, but it’s one of the three.
Israel is also my home where I grew up, where I flew to defend my country, and where my daughters and grandbabies live.