Yes, We Needed Israel

Sometimes, you have to explain the obvious

NOTE: See updates here.

Now here’s a post that I wasn’t expecting to have to write.

We’ve dealt with various argument and excuses as to why charedim won’t join the IDF. But another one, which many will find shocking, was voiced in a column in The Times of Israel by Rabbi Dovid Kornreich. He introduces it by noting that he’s not claiming to be representing anyone else’s views. But, as he acknowledges, his outlook has been wholly shaped and formed by his long-term and deep immersion in the Charedi Israeli yeshiva world.

The subtitle of R. Kornreich’s article summarizes his view: “Jewish sovereignty is not a high priority for us, and it's well below endangering a single Jewish life in order to maintain it.” As he explains in his essay, charedim never wanted a Jewish state and didn’t support the methods used to create one. Accordingly for R. Kornreich, this means that charedim have a principled basis for avoiding army service: “the burden of maintaining Jewish sovereignty by dint of constant military preparedness shouldn’t be put at the feet of those who never did, and never will, choose violence to achieve nationalistic aims.”

Incredibly, in his opposition to Zionism, Rabbi Kornreich even justifies Arab terrorism, claiming that Israel has a “lack of moral justification” for the mass displacement of Arabs that it created and that the resultant Arab terrorism is “understandable.” It’s horrifying to see such a view expressed in The Times of Israel by someone who is a product of a popular yeshiva for Anglos.

Personally, I do not believe that Rabbi Kornreich’s approach is representative of the mainstream charedi world in general, though this sort of anti-Zionism has recently become more popular. But it is representative of the anti-Zionist elements found in Satmar, Brisk, and Rabbi Moshe Meiselman’s yeshiva Toras Moshe. Which is where R. Kornreich spent the last thirty years, as a student, avreich, anti-rationalist blogger, and currently as a rebbe.

Rabbi Pini Dunner has already written a lengthy response to R. Korneich’s essay, which he describes as “jaw-dropping in its self-serving navel-gazing superficiality.” I’d like to give my own perspective here. Let’s have some lessons in basic history, civics, and theology.

I. The Creation of Israel

While political Zionism was not a religious movement, and certainly had highly secular and even anti-religious components, at its core it existed and was necessary for one simple reason: so that Jews would have a place to live. While some charedi rabbinic leaders told their followers that Europe would be fine as a long-term solution, which ultimately resulted in huge numbers being exterminated in the Holocaust, other rabbinic leaders and supporters of Zionism saw rising antisemitism in Europe and looked for somewhere to escape it.

Where were the Jews going to go? There weren’t a lot of options, although several were explored. After 1924, America was severely restricting immigration. Various options were explored in Uganda, Tasmania, Angola and elsewhere, and none proved feasible. Palestine, which at that time was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, was not only the natural choice based on our historical roots, but also pretty much the only viable choice. And Jews were already living there and emigrating to there, even before political Zionism started.

Yes, there was a problem of the large Arab population. But most Zionist leaders figured that, one way or another, some sort of political accommodation/ compromise would be worked out. They knew that the Arabs would not be happy about the Jews arriving in large numbers, but what choice did the Jews have? It was either that or be slaughtered in Europe.

We had to flee to the Land of Israel in large numbers. More Jews found refuge in the Land of Israel than in the entire rest of the world put together. Unfortunately, many were refused entry, and perished in Europe. Ultimately, the only way to make sure that the Land of Israel would be available for Jews that needed it was with political strength - sovereignty.

The early Zionists accepted, both with the Peel Commission and the Partition Plan, that it would be necessary to share the land with a separate Arab political entity; it was the Arab rejection of this compromise that led to the 1948 war and the subsequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of Arabs. Contrary to Rabbi Kornreich’s argument, we have excellent moral justification for creating the State of Israel, even with the displacement of Arabs that happened. Contray to his appalling claim, Arab terrorism is not justifiable.

It should also be stressed that once the ultra-Orthodox communities finally and tragically realized that Europe was doomed, they also sought to come to Israel, both before and after the State was created. And they were very happy to avail themselves of Zionist assistance to do so. In fact, most of the Agudah moetzes supported the establishment of a Jewish state in Israel, and even those who opposed it did so only due to concern of secular influence.

II. Jewish Suffering and Death

Rabbi Kornreich’s accusations of the existence of Israel being responsible for Jewish suffering and deaths are ridiculous as well as sickening. First of all, while Zionism creates a new framework for antisemitism, antisemitism has always existed in one form or another and always will. The idea that Jews around the world are suffering because of Israel is incredibly naive.

Furthermore, Zionism is responsible for saving an enormous number of Jewish lives. Had it not arisen, hundreds of thousands more Jews would have died in Europe, both during and after the Holocaust. And many hundreds of thousands or even millions more would have ended up suffering or killed in Russia, perhaps as cannon fodder for Putin’s war today.

While the 1948 war did result in Jews being driven out of Muslim countries, their lives there would hardly have been stable otherwise. How many tens or hundreds of thousands would have died in various Arab conflicts? What would have happened to the Jews of Iraq, of Iran, of Yemen, of Libya, of Syria, of Egypt?

III. Civics

For argument’s sake, let’s say that those who claim that Israel had no right to come into existence on Palestinian land and was “born in sin” (just like the USA) are correct. That would still not mean that Israel has no right to exist today. There are millions of Jews living in Israel, the vast majority of which, unlike Dovid Kornreich, were born here. What should they do?

The same goes for Charedi objections to the State of Israel or to its various actions. Rabbi Kornreich hurls a long list of accusations against early Zionists and the state, from political terrorism to forced assimilation of Yemenite immigrants. None of these have any bearing on the responsibility of all Israel’s citizens to participate in its defense needs today, just as they have no bearing on the obligation to obey the law and pay taxes.

If you’re a part of a country, you have obligations. If you don’t want to fulfill those obligations, or if you ideologically object to your country’s political existence, then you are welcome to try to find another country that will accommodate you. Charedim who do not want to serve in the IDF and who, like Rabbi Kornreich, feel no sense of responsibility to their brethren, can go to another country and renounce their Israeli citizenship, as some secular Israeli anti-Zionists have tragically done. (But good luck in finding a country that will accept a million people who are opposed to secular education and working for a living and civic responsibilities).

Meanwhile, if you decide to live in Israel, and benefit from all the amazing things that the State of Israel provides, whether roads and healthcare and welfare benefits or freedom of religion or protection from the many enemies of the Jewish People or guaranteed acceptance of any Jew from around the world who needs a country in which to live, then you also have to pay taxes and participate in the obligations that are applied equally to every community. And you also have a responsibility to all your fellow Jews who live here. This is basic morality, and it’s disturbing that Rabbi Kornreich doesn’t seem to grasp it.

(And don’t talk about Arabs being exempt from military duty, unless you are calling for charedim to be treated in the exact same way as Israeli Arabs, including no yeshiva benefits and no Right of Return.)

IV. Theology and Sovereignty

All of the above shows why Rabbi Kornreich’s alleged justification for charedi non-participation in the IDF is ill-informed and immoral. But I would also like to address his claim that Jewish sovereignty does not have any inherent value from a Torah perspective.

Such a claim might sound frum today. But any honest look at Jewish texts and Jewish history reveals otherwise. Subjugation to other nations is regarded as inherently shameful. Much of the mourning around the destruction of Jerusalem relates to the loss of national pride. The victory and rule of the Hasmoneans is regarded highly positively, even though most of them were not even religious!

The State of Israel is the greatest miracle in the world and has provided an essential refuge and incredible home for Jews worldwide. The Jewish People need to be united to help and defend the State and each other. And everyone who wants to live in a country and benefit from it has to also participate in national responsibilities.

It’s tragic that a rabbi who has been studying Torah in yeshivah for thirty years does not grasp any of this. And I'm sure that he grew up in a home that valued both the State of Israel and basic civic responsibility. There's a lesson here about the care that needs to be taken in choosing a yeshiva for your son (and seminary for your daughter).