The Right to be Anti-Zionist in Israel

I don’t usually pick up my pen to defend anti-Zionists, but defending the right for Israeli citizens to be anti-Zionist is consistent with the democratic values of Zionism (as odd as that might sound). Defending Israeli citizens who oppose Zionism isn’t a naïve defense of people looking to annihilate Israel, but rather explaining the aspects of Zionism that weren’t accepted by all Israelis. Zionism isn’t monolithic, it has various aspects to it, and it is rare to find a Zionist that agrees with every Zionist value. To truly understand Zionism one must understand the parts of it that were rejected by large segments of the Jewish population and why they opposed those aspects of Zionism.

In a recent report in The Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Dov Landau, one of the most senior leaders of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, was quoted as directing representatives of the Degel HaTorah political party to withdraw from all participation in Zionist institutions, citing irreconcilable ideological differences with Zionism’s secular foundations.

In a letter published in the ultra-Orthodox daily Yated Ne’eman, Landau wrote: “Zionism is a movement whose purpose is to establish the Jewish people on an explicitly secular foundation, rooted in heresy and rebellion against divine sovereignty.” He further stated, “There is no allowance to participate with them, serve in any role within their institutions, or vote in their elections in any form whatsoever.”

Writer and Author Yaakov Katz, criticized Rav Landau, tweeting, “This man, who calls to boycott Israel because it’s founded on ‘heresy,’ runs a yeshiva that received NIS 4 million in taxpayer funds in 2024. In 2023 it got more than NIS 6 million. Why are we funding someone who opposes the very state that supports him?”

Mr. Katz’s objection to condemn Zionism while also taking money from the state is certainly understandable. Calling an institution heretical and still taking money from that institution seems hypocritical and disingenuous. It is also understandable that Zionists object to Rabbi Landau’s position that Zionism is heretical. Many Torah observant Jews are not only Zionists but find their Zionism an expression of their Torah observance. Far from heretical, they maintain their Zionism fulfills the mitzvah of settling the land. To religious Zionists, Rabbi Landau’s position is not only wrong, but also offensive.

As an Israel educator with an expertise in Zionism I see the benefits of Zionism and educate thousands of people each year about the contributions of Zionism to the Jewish world and the global community. As an Orthodox rabbi, I have seen no inconsistencies between my Torah and mitzvah observance and my Zionism. I find the two complement each other. At the same time, I see flaws in Zionism. It is the very mastery I’ve gained about Zionism that allows me to understand its limitations. I think the more familiar a person becomes with Zionism, the better they can perceive its flaws. Zionism isn’t Divine. It is a man-made system and as a result will contain faults.

It’s important to note that Rabbi Landau’s objection isn’t to a State of Israel, it’s to a State of Israel that isn’t consistent with the Torah, or that is heretical to the Torah’s philosophy. This has been the mainstream Haredi objection to Zionism since its founding. This is an important distinction and separates Rabbi Landau from anti-Zionists and Israel’s enemies who want the state of Israel to be destroyed. Rabbi Landau does not want Israel to be destroyed, he wants it to be more Torah observant and consistent with Torah values. Until Israel adheres to Torah laws, Rabbi Landau maintains it is forbidden to be involved with Zionist institutions. Haredi scholars and leaders have differed in whether it is appropriate to participate in Zionist institutions. While some Haredi leaders have allowed it and others have forbidden it, many Haredi leaders found a middle ground that allows participation in areas that advance Torah causes.

The State of Israel was founded by mostly secular Zionists who made compromises with religious citizens as a healthy expression of democracy and a perfect demonstration of Israel’s loyal avoidance of creating a tyranny of the majority. These included exemption of Torah observant women and full time Torah studying Haredi men from military service, state sponsoring of Haredi schools, and the encouragement of Haredi participation in Israel’s legislative process. For the most part, Haredi Jews acknowledged these compromises but didn’t think they went far enough to establishing a Jewish state that was committed to the Torah and Jewish law.

There is no Israeli law that requires its citizens to be a Zionist. To be a productive member of Israeli society or a citizen of Israel in good standing doesn’t require an allegiance to Zionism. The modern state of Israel doesn’t require passing a loyalty test. Even new citizens aren’t required to take an oath of allegiance and unlike America, Israel doesn’t have a “Pledge of Allegiance.” While proceedings in America’s Congress begin with a daily recital of the pledge of allegiance, the Israeli Knesset would never require its members to do the same.

The Haredi view of citizenship differs from the general Israeli view of citizenship. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy presented two different models of citizenship. The first, the republican model, “Can be found in the writings of authors like Aristotle, Tacitus, Cicero, Machiavelli, Harrington and Rousseau, and in distinct historical experiences: from Athenian democracy and Republican Rome to the Italian city-states and workers’ councils.” This model requires citizens have “Active participation in processes of deliberation and decision-making that views individuals as citizens, not subjects.”

The second form of citizenship found in the Stanford Encyclopedia is the liberal model, whose “Origins are traceable to the Roman Empire and early-modern reflections on Roman law.” In this model, “Citizenship meant being protected by the law rather than participating in its formulation or execution.”

While Zionists created the State of Israel while envisioning the republican model of citizenship, Haredi Jews understand citizenship to follow the liberal model. The Haredi approach is consistent with Haredi subservience to Halacha, Jewish law. In the Halachik system, the individual Jew doesn’t participate in legislating law or participate in “its formulation or execution,” only the Torah scholars play this role.

Zionist philosophy sees nothing wrong with Israeli citizens opposing the ideology, axioms, and values of Zionism while still being protected and benefiting from the State. While many Israelis take issue with this, in a Democracy, any viewpoint that doesn’t call for the harm of others is legitimate, even positions most of the population consider objectionable.

When considering the Arab and Haredi populations of Israel, we find that over 30% of the population do not consider themselves Zionists. It is impossible to know every member of this large populations’ actual viewpoints, but it isn’t baseless to assume that Israeli Arabs and Haredim oppose Zionism. To suggest that Israel shouldn’t be funding 30% of its populations’ cultural and religious centers because their members aren’t Zionists is both absurd and unrealistic.

It is true that almost all Haredi Jews don’t serve in the army, don’t participate in much of the larger Israeli community, and some of its leaders are now calling for a withdrawal from Zionist institutions, they contribute to Israeli society in many ways. Many of the social and communal not for profit service institutions are founded and run by Haredi Jews. These include emergency medical and rescue services, human remains removal, and patient assistance and advocate services in hospitals. It is a fallacy to characterize the Haredi community as separatists who do not contribute to Israeli society.

Many Zionists will never be satisfied by explanations of the Haredi perspective and that is their prerogative, but in a functioning democracy everyone gets their say and in a pluralistic society the Zionists aimed to create, the Haredi perspective should be considered and understood before it is rejected.