Religious-Zionist Attitudes Towards the Peace Process
[Article]
Zehavit Gross
Leiden
Brill
The aim of this article is to analyse the attitudes of Religious-Zionists toward the Middle East peace process. The Religious-Zionist movement served as the flag-bearer for Jewish settlement in the occupied territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and the principal reserve of the settler population. The tragedy of Religious-Zionism may well be its desire to integrate within and benefit from historical realities originating in relative, pragmatic conceptions, along with its refusal or inability to liberate itself of thinking tools, conceptions and norms belonging to a theological, a-historical world controlled by absolute values and dreams. The dominant trend in Religious-Zionism was found to have a direct influence on the nature of Jewish public discourse and is expected to influence the shaping of Jewish society and culture in the State of Israel after the peace agreements are signed. The aim of this article is to analyse the attitudes of Religious-Zionists toward the Middle East peace process. The Religious-Zionist movement served as the flag-bearer for Jewish settlement in the occupied territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and the principal reserve of the settler population. The tragedy of Religious-Zionism may well be its desire to integrate within and benefit from historical realities originating in relative, pragmatic conceptions, along with its refusal or inability to liberate itself of thinking tools, conceptions and norms belonging to a theological, a-historical world controlled by absolute values and dreams. The dominant trend in Religious-Zionism was found to have a direct influence on the nature of Jewish public discourse and is expected to influence the shaping of Jewish society and culture in the State of Israel after the peace agreements are signed.