Israel Shahak predicted this.. I suppose from your POV it really is like how the most insufferable resistance liberals turned out to be 100% correct about Trump by his 2nd term.
Good to know how the far right religious zionists are corrupting Judaism. We've been saying that for years!
I absolutely love how you dump a massive bucket of ice-cold water on anyone who may have felt a bit of hope and inspiration from those two songs. And in the most British way possible as well.
I think, now that I have learned the history of the Al Tira song that I will never sing it again, and protest whenever I hear it. The Mi Shemaamin song, I actually like, and I still find the lyrics meaningful. I guess I will be too cringed out to play it anymore, especially if this becomes associated with Ben Gvirs election campaign, as it seems destined to do.
Surprisingly I have quite a bit of sympathy for your viewpoint, but I think you pushed the envelope too far which is one of your big problems in your writing. You just chucked in Aryeh Deri for no good reason, and confused your message. Now this is not me being a holy chareidi and jumping up to defending a dedicated and tireless askan blah, blah blah. Far from that, but Deri, for all the faults he may possess is clearly a million times better then the empty headed arsim you just eviscerated.
I'm surprised more people are not driven to rage by the sheer stupidity of "מי שמאמין לא מפחד את האמונה לאבד". I mean, it's a perfectly sensible sentence for a Calvinist singing about the doctrine of 'perseverance of saints', but in Judaism is complete nonsense.
Do you think there is anything the state could have done to prevent Religious Zionism from being transformed from the relatively moderate movement it was before statehood into what it is now? Like maybe treating Zvi Yehuda Kook with half the severity secular authoritarian Arab states treat their crazy clerics instead of letting him light a torch on Independence Day in 1957.
I think when you remove the pressures of diaspora life and add the territorial imperative to the religion, it's quite predictable that Judaism would evolve into something more closely resembling Islam in its theology
I’m not sure, in the mandate period the Rabbis were generally aligned against rightoid chuddery (though there were exceptions) during outbreaks of ethnic violence and Mafdal under Shapira was quite dovish. And there was always a notable dovish faction among the national religious like with the Meimad party in the 90s. The liberal “national religious” still exist today though they’re not numerically significant but they are prominent among certain elites. A noticeable portion of leading Israeli academics are liberal national religious/modern orthodox. But they are less so part of the DL sector but rather the observant wing of the old Ashkenazi elite.
I think it’s possible that if the state did not indulge and mainstream the younger Kook and other carriers of bad ideas, and instead tried to snuff out the worst ideological currents, things could’ve been different.
In the 1950s, Rav TY Kook was writing the government letters telling them to be nicer to Arab prisoners. It's hard to know how things are going to turn out. This does somewhat vindicate Shahak's argument that you need to look into the underlying theology.
Policing one's own is a prerequisite for any kind of beautiful civilization, and it is also considered by many of this particular civilization's population to be the worst thing any member of it could possibly do.
I think the only answer to your question would be that some inciting event would need to induce enough self-hatred in the average Israeli that some semblance of self-awareness could take root. Something along the lines of taking every "woke" trait of the American education system, real and imagined, and redesigning the Israeli one along those lines for 1-2 generations.
Anything? How about not demonizing them with false flags(and encouraging their autists to go postal) and trying to give terrorists Hebron in the early 2000s.
"Applies biblical-style language that you would expect to refer to God to the Israeli nation and its military might" doesn't even vaguely describe the lyrics? Medina wrote a song about Jacob the patriarch whose refrain was ambiguous enough on the meaning of 'Israel' that it later become a nationalist song. I mean, I'm Roman Catholic, so maybe I'm just missing Rabbinic context where this sort of thing is declared as an abomination or whatever, but it's not clear to me how applying the qualities of the ancestor to his descendants (something the Tanakh constantly does, e.g. daughters of Lot) is a blasphemy, even if he had intended that meaning.
But the reason for אל תירא is changed. In the bible, it is 'do not be afraid for God is with you', but here it is 'do not be afraid, for you are strong'
I think that the religious framework can develop around the taivah for nationalism which is exactly the opposite of what Rav Kook believed should happen, which is that the nationalist framework has to be course-corrected by the religion. I shudder to think that Rav Kook would, if I could come back alive today, scream out in agony at how hideously his Torah has been perverted. They don't chap his dialectic AT ALL and just go for the ugliest form of the "antithesis" of the Jewish religion.
Very solid article. I was explaining recently to someone who has, aside from this issue, a very similar outlook to me on the world that the people for aggressive ethnic nationalism and religious provocation like on Har HaBayis are actually militating against Judaism. The public messaging is so effective that even this guy who is against this are like "well yeah it's assur what they're doing and they should be ashamed of themselves, but they're causing mashiach to come quicker, and we just need to stay the course." NO we need to course-correct. If we had a Navi today they wouldn't tell everyone don't worry be happy they would say what you're doing is evil and you need to do teshuva or it's over for you. I know this cause I've read all of the Nevi'im multiple times and not a single one had anything resembling the values of co-opting militant nationalism into religious goals and expanding the scope of the commandments of state craft to be the ikkar and disregard the ethical themes of the entire religion and declare them goyishe. I think it comes from the assumption that we are very close to mashiach b'derech ha-teva and so any means seem to justify the end. But if the mission mashiach is, like I think (and the Torah agrees with me, here with >99% confidence) to bring about a state of rational, moral, and religious enlightenment across the world then the ways that could help that are probably like embodying and teaching rationality, morality, and the Jewish religion. If anything can be done by natural means to accelerate the coming of moshiach, and I believe it can, it's actually trying to build a human civilization patterned according to the Divine will or at least a Jewish religious civilization patterned according to the Divine will. But instead, people make an idol out of the simanim of moshiach (Temple, state, warfare, etc.) with complete disregard for what it would mean to earn such privileges and have them be a fulfillment of world-historical purposes in a revealed way rather than an impediment to coordinate humanitarian and civilizational goals. I think from this idea of Mitzva Ha-ba'a Ba-aveira, while also a din in halakha, we can learn out a sort of rebuke to this type of thinking. Nothing like that nothing good comes from evil. They think that state-building itself is the overriding mitzvah that supersedes other prohibitions but their attitude turns the tools and symbols of redemption into an end in themselves, sacrificing the ethical essence of Judaism to achieve them. It's very disheartening to see people using pesukim (or pseudo-pesukim) to directly contradict foundational Jewish sources. Na"kh is indeed among the most important things for Israel to take to heart but not for the reason that these people think.
The Pharisees and the children of their house- the rabbis were in on the revolt. The Talmud which was compiled centuries later does its best to show their buyers remorse. But I think deep down you already know this
"6. But of the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Judas the Galilean was the author. These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kinds of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man lord. And since this immovable resolution of theirs is well known to a great many..."
> I’m trying to not be inflammatory on the subject of Israeli demographic trends. It’s an important subject and requires sensitive treatment so as not to scare the libs. But geez it’s not easy.
Hollup, that one on the bottom left is just an Indian. Like, not even Arab or African or anything. That is a straight up, right off the plane from Mumbai Indian.
Some Gadol Hador could speak against this things. But I guess the term doesn't mean what it says.
On a more psychological plane, is understandable that people traumatized by war and terror, maybe after losing friends and family, are looking for some "simple faith" to rely on.
Problem is if Judaism is incompatible with kahanism then we have to explain why God has let Kahanism be so successful, in the same way that the Satmar Rebbe had to explain Zionism’s success. How do we explain God striking down Rabin (assassination), Sharon (ham sandwich), and Olmert (his own corruption) and then Bibi going on a generational run of right wing governments getting elected? Even October 7 benefitted the Kahanists.
Israel Shahak predicted this.. I suppose from your POV it really is like how the most insufferable resistance liberals turned out to be 100% correct about Trump by his 2nd term.
Good to know how the far right religious zionists are corrupting Judaism. We've been saying that for years!
I absolutely love how you dump a massive bucket of ice-cold water on anyone who may have felt a bit of hope and inspiration from those two songs. And in the most British way possible as well.
I think, now that I have learned the history of the Al Tira song that I will never sing it again, and protest whenever I hear it. The Mi Shemaamin song, I actually like, and I still find the lyrics meaningful. I guess I will be too cringed out to play it anymore, especially if this becomes associated with Ben Gvirs election campaign, as it seems destined to do.
Surprisingly I have quite a bit of sympathy for your viewpoint, but I think you pushed the envelope too far which is one of your big problems in your writing. You just chucked in Aryeh Deri for no good reason, and confused your message. Now this is not me being a holy chareidi and jumping up to defending a dedicated and tireless askan blah, blah blah. Far from that, but Deri, for all the faults he may possess is clearly a million times better then the empty headed arsim you just eviscerated.
"I like Aryeh Deri.." - NonZionism, The Supreme Cucks (2026)
I'm surprised more people are not driven to rage by the sheer stupidity of "מי שמאמין לא מפחד את האמונה לאבד". I mean, it's a perfectly sensible sentence for a Calvinist singing about the doctrine of 'perseverance of saints', but in Judaism is complete nonsense.
I consider my Hebrew to be good, but I cannot figure out what that is supposed to mean, could you translate it?
I think it means: One who believes has no fear that the belief will be destroyed.
It means 'one who believes has no fear of losing faith'. Which makes about as much sense as saying 'a rich man has no fear of becoming poor'.
I dunno, my grasp of hebrew is scarce at best, but going off google translate it seems like those should be correlated attitudes.
Do you think there is anything the state could have done to prevent Religious Zionism from being transformed from the relatively moderate movement it was before statehood into what it is now? Like maybe treating Zvi Yehuda Kook with half the severity secular authoritarian Arab states treat their crazy clerics instead of letting him light a torch on Independence Day in 1957.
I think when you remove the pressures of diaspora life and add the territorial imperative to the religion, it's quite predictable that Judaism would evolve into something more closely resembling Islam in its theology
I’m not sure, in the mandate period the Rabbis were generally aligned against rightoid chuddery (though there were exceptions) during outbreaks of ethnic violence and Mafdal under Shapira was quite dovish. And there was always a notable dovish faction among the national religious like with the Meimad party in the 90s. The liberal “national religious” still exist today though they’re not numerically significant but they are prominent among certain elites. A noticeable portion of leading Israeli academics are liberal national religious/modern orthodox. But they are less so part of the DL sector but rather the observant wing of the old Ashkenazi elite.
I think it’s possible that if the state did not indulge and mainstream the younger Kook and other carriers of bad ideas, and instead tried to snuff out the worst ideological currents, things could’ve been different.
In the 1950s, Rav TY Kook was writing the government letters telling them to be nicer to Arab prisoners. It's hard to know how things are going to turn out. This does somewhat vindicate Shahak's argument that you need to look into the underlying theology.
Policing one's own is a prerequisite for any kind of beautiful civilization, and it is also considered by many of this particular civilization's population to be the worst thing any member of it could possibly do.
I think the only answer to your question would be that some inciting event would need to induce enough self-hatred in the average Israeli that some semblance of self-awareness could take root. Something along the lines of taking every "woke" trait of the American education system, real and imagined, and redesigning the Israeli one along those lines for 1-2 generations.
Anything? How about not demonizing them with false flags(and encouraging their autists to go postal) and trying to give terrorists Hebron in the early 2000s.
Oy.
"Applies biblical-style language that you would expect to refer to God to the Israeli nation and its military might" doesn't even vaguely describe the lyrics? Medina wrote a song about Jacob the patriarch whose refrain was ambiguous enough on the meaning of 'Israel' that it later become a nationalist song. I mean, I'm Roman Catholic, so maybe I'm just missing Rabbinic context where this sort of thing is declared as an abomination or whatever, but it's not clear to me how applying the qualities of the ancestor to his descendants (something the Tanakh constantly does, e.g. daughters of Lot) is a blasphemy, even if he had intended that meaning.
There are two sets of allusions, first to the following verses:
וְעַתָּה כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה בֹּרַאֲךָ יַעֲקֹב וְיֹצֶרְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־תִּירָא כִּי גְאַלְתִּיךָ קָרָאתִי בְשִׁמְךָ לִי־אָתָּה׃
וְאַתָּה אַל־תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וְאַל־תֵּחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי הִנְנִי מוֹשִׁעֲךָ מֵרָחוֹק וְאֶת־זַרְעֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ שִׁבְיָם וְשָׁב יַעֲקוֹב וְשָׁקַט וְשַׁאֲנַן וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד׃
אַתָּה אַל־תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנִי כִּי אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּיךָ שָׁמָּה וְאֹתְךָ לֹא־אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה וְיִסַּרְתִּיךָ לַמִּשְׁפָּט וְנַקֵּה לֹא אֲנַקֶּךָּ׃
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמַרְאֹ֣ת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֣ב ׀ יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָנֹכִ֥י הָאֵ֖ל אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ אַל־תִּירָא֙ מֵרְדָ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יְמָה כִּֽי־לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל אֲשִֽׂימְךָ֥ שָֽׁם׃
But the reason for אל תירא is changed. In the bible, it is 'do not be afraid for God is with you', but here it is 'do not be afraid, for you are strong'
Secondly, it is alluding to this verse
אַרְיֵ֥ה שָׁאָ֖ג מִ֣י לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ דִּבֶּ֔ר מִ֖י לֹ֥א יִנָּבֵֽא׃
But again, it is changed. In the original, the lion is God, here it is Jacob.
I think that the religious framework can develop around the taivah for nationalism which is exactly the opposite of what Rav Kook believed should happen, which is that the nationalist framework has to be course-corrected by the religion. I shudder to think that Rav Kook would, if I could come back alive today, scream out in agony at how hideously his Torah has been perverted. They don't chap his dialectic AT ALL and just go for the ugliest form of the "antithesis" of the Jewish religion.
Very solid article. I was explaining recently to someone who has, aside from this issue, a very similar outlook to me on the world that the people for aggressive ethnic nationalism and religious provocation like on Har HaBayis are actually militating against Judaism. The public messaging is so effective that even this guy who is against this are like "well yeah it's assur what they're doing and they should be ashamed of themselves, but they're causing mashiach to come quicker, and we just need to stay the course." NO we need to course-correct. If we had a Navi today they wouldn't tell everyone don't worry be happy they would say what you're doing is evil and you need to do teshuva or it's over for you. I know this cause I've read all of the Nevi'im multiple times and not a single one had anything resembling the values of co-opting militant nationalism into religious goals and expanding the scope of the commandments of state craft to be the ikkar and disregard the ethical themes of the entire religion and declare them goyishe. I think it comes from the assumption that we are very close to mashiach b'derech ha-teva and so any means seem to justify the end. But if the mission mashiach is, like I think (and the Torah agrees with me, here with >99% confidence) to bring about a state of rational, moral, and religious enlightenment across the world then the ways that could help that are probably like embodying and teaching rationality, morality, and the Jewish religion. If anything can be done by natural means to accelerate the coming of moshiach, and I believe it can, it's actually trying to build a human civilization patterned according to the Divine will or at least a Jewish religious civilization patterned according to the Divine will. But instead, people make an idol out of the simanim of moshiach (Temple, state, warfare, etc.) with complete disregard for what it would mean to earn such privileges and have them be a fulfillment of world-historical purposes in a revealed way rather than an impediment to coordinate humanitarian and civilizational goals. I think from this idea of Mitzva Ha-ba'a Ba-aveira, while also a din in halakha, we can learn out a sort of rebuke to this type of thinking. Nothing like that nothing good comes from evil. They think that state-building itself is the overriding mitzvah that supersedes other prohibitions but their attitude turns the tools and symbols of redemption into an end in themselves, sacrificing the ethical essence of Judaism to achieve them. It's very disheartening to see people using pesukim (or pseudo-pesukim) to directly contradict foundational Jewish sources. Na"kh is indeed among the most important things for Israel to take to heart but not for the reason that these people think.
The Pharisees and the children of their house- the rabbis were in on the revolt. The Talmud which was compiled centuries later does its best to show their buyers remorse. But I think deep down you already know this
"6. But of the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Judas the Galilean was the author. These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kinds of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man lord. And since this immovable resolution of theirs is well known to a great many..."
Josephus Antiquities 18.[1.1-6].1-25.
> I’m trying to not be inflammatory on the subject of Israeli demographic trends. It’s an important subject and requires sensitive treatment so as not to scare the libs. But geez it’s not easy.
Hollup, that one on the bottom left is just an Indian. Like, not even Arab or African or anything. That is a straight up, right off the plane from Mumbai Indian.
It's a yookay grooming gang.
Some Gadol Hador could speak against this things. But I guess the term doesn't mean what it says.
On a more psychological plane, is understandable that people traumatized by war and terror, maybe after losing friends and family, are looking for some "simple faith" to rely on.
Problem is if Judaism is incompatible with kahanism then we have to explain why God has let Kahanism be so successful, in the same way that the Satmar Rebbe had to explain Zionism’s success. How do we explain God striking down Rabin (assassination), Sharon (ham sandwich), and Olmert (his own corruption) and then Bibi going on a generational run of right wing governments getting elected? Even October 7 benefitted the Kahanists.
הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים
Alas if only this sentiment was expressed in a catchy song