religious Zionism

Religious Zionism is a movement within Judaism that fuses religious observance with nationalist aspirations for the land of Israel. It emerged in the late 19th century, partly as a response to secular Zionism and the historical Jewish diaspora. Unlike ultra-Orthodox Judaism, religious Zionists actively participate in modern society and the political process, cooperating with secular Zionists to establish and support the State of Israel.1

A key tenet of religious Zionism is the belief that the Zionist movement is part of a gradual, divine messianic redemption of the Jewish people. This view, notably articulated by Rabbi Abraham Kook, suggests that secular Zionists are unknowingly fulfilling God's will. Following the Six-Day War in 1967, a more militant faction, Gush Emunim, emerged, emphasizing the religious imperative to settle and retain territories occupied by Israel, viewing this as a divine mandate.1