Religious Zionists: Neither Religious, nor Zionist

Do you Want a Barrier Running down the Middle of your Country?

ראש החודש השני תשע״ח

Times Of Israel Blogs: Israel’s separation barrier: legitimate in theory, malicious in practice

Michael Aarenau, March 22, 2018

“The Apartheid Wall,” “The Security Fence,” “The Border Wall.” All of these words and more have been used to describe the barrier that separates parts of Israel Proper from the Occupied West Bank. Interestingly enough, how one titles the structure is often a key indicator of how they view the conflict overall.

Anti-Israel activists will typically refer to it as The Apartheid Wall, focusing on the different realities faced by Israelis inside Israel Proper compared to those of the Palestinians living on the other side of the barrier in the West Bank. On the other hand, Israel advocates typically refer to it as The Security Fence, focusing on the defensive purposes of the structure, and underscoring that the vast majority of the structure is not a wall at all, but rather, barbed wire fencing. Some Israel advocates (and even some Israeli diplomats/peace negotiators) refer to it as The Border Wall, noting its purpose in dividing boundaries between a sovereign state and a hostile non-sovereign entity that may one day come to be autonomous in its own right.

I, however, will be using the term “Separation Barrier” throughout this article as it’s more politically neutral and more importantly, it addresses the central themes that I’ll be focusing on throughout this piece. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Sometimes, I just don’t know why I bother writing responses to opinion pieces like this. The author probably won’t read it. And even if he does, it will just make his eyes roll, and he’ll employ the strategy I myself often employ, which is to ignore and discount responses. Well, in my case, I often ignore responses, which do not include Torah-based sources to support their case.

And although I am sure I should be devoting my time and energy into writing something else, I do believe that it is worth it to point out some details about the “security fence,” or as Aarenau refers to it, the “separation barrier,” which you will not see reported by the mainstream news media.

First off, there are just so many problems with the logic of this piece, I will just hit on a few of my favorites.

But before I do that, I will point out the irony which rarely, if ever, gets picked up by the news media. The left-wing Jews, European non-Jews, and self-identified anarchists may be the primary force in protesting the existence of Aarenau’s “separation barrier.” However, they do so for the wrong reasons.

On opposite side of the barrier battle, the so-called “right wing” supports the wall. But, of course, they do so, for the wrong reasons.

The Torah nationalists — you know, those Jews who are demonized for being right-wing extremists, even though they no longer see things as being right or left — do not want a wall running down the middle of their homeland. Most of them are focusing on other crucial issues, and so they are quite happy to let the anarchists and other assorted activists take one for the team,… so to speak.

The term Apartheid Wall is also quite ironic, in and of itself. Jews get upset at this term, mostly Jews on the so-called “right,” as they are offended that we would be accused of violating anyone’s human rights. They are quick to point out Jewish participation in the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa, not to mention those of us on college campuses in the 1980’s demonstrating for “Divestment” from South Africa, and boycotting companies doing business there. Sound familiar? (Hint: #BDS)
In spite of these Jews getting it right (this one time), they forget that Jews are supposed to be a separate and distinct people. In an ideal, geulah (redemption) based world, only certain non-Jews will be allowed to reside in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). But, even these gerei toshav (resident aliens) will have limitations set upon them, including where they may live, and who they may marry, according to halakhah (Torah Law).
Hmm… Sounds like Apartheid to me.

I thought Religious Zionist meant being a part of the geulah (redemption) process, and actively working toward the goal of making Torah a reality in This World, instead of waiting for Mashi’ah to come and do all of the work for us. But the rhetoric of these “Religious Zionist” Jews, indoctrinated from a young age in the Israeli public, “religious” education system, seems much more like the very groups of Haredim* they often like to bash. Sure, they encourage aliyah(Jewish immigration to Israel). But, then that’s it.  (*Haredim are often referred to by the silly term “ultra-orthodox.”)

  • “We cannot ascend Har HaBayith (the Temple Mount).”
  • “We cannot build Beth HaMiqdash (The Temple).”
  • “We cannot bring the Qorban Pesah (the Passover offering).”
  • “[We can annex land, but] ‘Im lo torishu’ of (Num. 33:50-56) does not apply today.”
  • “The mitzvah of ‘lo tehonem’(Deut. 7:2) does not apply to Muslims or Christians.” -even though the Ramba”m(Shu”T 148), the Tur (Hoshen Mishpat 249), the Beth Yosef, and Ba”Ch all say that it does.

Until when? Until Mashi’ah comes? THAT is not even clear when you ask various Religious Zionist groups.

Well, I guess, so far, I haven’t actually gone after the author of this piece himself. Rather, I have gone after the ridiculous logic used by the quasi-right-wing, including those of whom I like to refer to as Religious Zionist Light, Mamlakhtim (diehard State loyalists),…or worse. In fact, Aarenau quite correctly criticizes the separation barrier going through [east] Jerusalem and even correctly criticizes the lack of logic in this. I will go far as to call it hypocrisy. Even though Aarenu himself does not use this word here.