Zionism, Judaism and Nationalism

Two very interesting articles that discuss the intersection of three philosophies. The New York Times article by Mark Oppenheimer (A Conflict of Faith: Devoted to Jewish Observance but at Odds With Israel) explains why six very learned and observant Jews oppose Israel's policies/Zionism.

Professor Manekin (Philosophy professor at the University of Maryland), Professor Stefan Krieger(Law professor at Hofstra University), Rabbi Alissa Wise (Works for Jewish Voice of Peace), Daniel Boyarin (Professor of Talmudic Culture at University of California-Berkeley), Noam Pianko (Associate Professor of Jewish History at University of Washington) and Corey Robin (Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College) are all observant Jews. Talmudic precepts are important to them and they are well-versed in Jewish history and culture. These qualities makes them a minority in the American Jewry but they are also part of an exceeding rare group of religiously-observant Jews not supporting Israel.

These six scholars give a number of reasons for not supporting Israel, including Israeli unjust policies toward Palestinians, Zionism’s incompatibility with Jewish beliefs and moral issues with the idea of worshiping a heavily militarized state and with the belief of one land/state for one specific people.   

Few quotes:

"I think nationalism and religion together are toxic," said Stefan Krieger

"The very concept of a state defined as being for one people was deeply problematic and inevitably going to lead to moral and political disaster. Which I think it has", said Professor Boyarin.

"People look at 'non-statist Zionism' as the type that lost. But I found a lot of what they were saying resonated today, and a lot of their predictions about endless war had come to pass, " said Professor Manekin. 

 "There are lots of ways to be Jewish," Professor Robin said, "but worshiping a heavily militarized state seems like a bit of a comedown from our past."

Liel Leibovitz puts forward the counter argument in his article Why Religious Judaism is tied to Nationalism: What subjects of a recent New York Times column get fundamentally wrong   

"The answer is a core tenet of Judaism, namely the realization that earthly power is indispensable. As Michael Walzer elegantly noted in his (book) Exodus and Revolution, nothing inherent sets Canaan apart from Egypt and its houses of bondage; the Promised Land’s promise lies not in some external bit of magic but in the ability of the Jews to apply their sovereignty and turn their nation state into a concrete example of a just and merciful kingdom. In other words, Judaism suggests that if you’re going to live up to your calling and set a moral example, you do it not by shuffling off this mortal coil and declaring yourself too pure for the imperfect and compromise-ridden business of government, but by jumping right in and serving as an example of how a real nation addresses real problems right here in the real world."

These two articles bring into focus the main issues of religious nationalism. Does religion need state power to show its relevance? Does religion want to establish a just and merciful society or a just and merciful kingdom or one is a mean to reach the other? A just and merciful kingdom governed by divine laws should attract more adherents but religious states have usually resulted in persecution of religious minorities, so potential adherents have been lost forever than gained. How do we reconcile it with the idea of religious state being a 'moral example'?