The Israelis are back to their favorite sport, screaming at each other. There’s no surprise in that, yet I want to add an important nuance that people from outside may easily miss: Our loud public debates are a deep part of our national identity. They are not an accident. While it may look like weakness, from the outside, to us Israelis, it’s a continuation of our long heritage and what will ultimately lead us to a better future.
Public debate in Israel in the last few years and five rounds of elections revolves essentially around one question: Is the modern state of Israel a Jewish ghetto in our ancestral homeland, or is it a Hebrew kingdom in our ancestral homeland?
Netanyahu and his coalition don’t think like a kingdom. They think in terms of Jewish ghetto politics, trying to survive among the goyim (by the way, “goyim,” meaning “nations” isn’t a derogatory term). As a result of 2,500 years in exile, Jews have developed all kinds of tactics to negotiate their very existence, finding excuses for why they should live another day or, in the case of Israel 2024, why we should be allowed to fight jihadist terror groups in Gaza until we defeat them.
Another expression of this ghetto mentality is the outcry of the ultra-Orthodox against joining the army (since April 1, there has been no legal framework that supports this arrangement) during the most dangerous time for modern Israel, when half a million Israelis are serving and doing their best to defend the country.
Israel was established to be a safe shelter for the Jews and to become a “Light unto the Nations” (Isaiah 49:6), a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Holy nation in Hebrew is “goy kadosh.”
The idea of modern Israel being a part of the fulfillment of the prophecies is embedded in the Israeli Declaration of Independence (a must-read). Israel is not the safest shelter, as the October 7 massacre proved, but it is at least a place where Jews are able to defend themselves more than at any other time in history. But what about the second purpose? Who is moving forward with the prophetic agenda of turning this new Jewish kingdom into a beacon of light?
BEFORE ANSWERING, let’s go back to the Torah: Should the Torah and all the rabbinic literature with it stay in the yeshiva (Jewish study hall), or should it burst out and be implemented with its moral code and ethics, with its divine guidance and brave spirit to all fields of life? The basic notion of Judaism stresses, “In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight,” (Proverbs 3:6) and “the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). After being locked in the box of exile, it is time, that in the land of Israel, the Torah will echo strongly and help us answer: How to manage a Hebrew economy, a Hebrew army, Hebrew math and biology, Hebrew agriculture, Hebrew restaurants, and more.
Hebrew revival
This is not a new idea. Thoughts about the Hebrew revival of the land were part of the mindset of the Zionist Movement, and Israelis shared them on the Left and Right of the political spectrum. Many Israelis from all sects and walks of life are actually fulfilling this vision. However, this is not a vision that should or can be carried out by individuals. This is indeed a state project, and the government has neglected it.
The opposition to Netanyahu and his coalition is saying, “The exile is over.” If they had used religious terminology, they would have to say, “The third Jewish kingdom is here. We don’t want to merely survive among the nations; we want to move forward to our actual purpose – being a light unto the nations in every possible field “and being a blessing” and that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through [us]” (Genesis 12:3). Israelis know what the full potential of this country is- and I can assure you – we aren’t even halfway there.
The optics are very confusing. For those who are outsiders, the most religious coalition here is holding back the full potential of the prophetic ideas this country was established on.
They are continuing the ghetto mentality, while the more liberal and secular part of Israeli society is, like in the days of early Zionism, pushing the prophetic timeline forward.
Those who don’t necessarily practice what goes by the name “Judaism” could be the most loyal to Jewish destiny. It shouldn’t be surprising for Bible students, as we know that salvation comes in a very surprising way: It could be [via] an Egyptian prince called Moses or a Persian messiah: “This is what the Lord says to his anointed [Messiah in Hebrew], to Cyrus.”
It’s difficult to shake off the burden of 2,500 years of exile. We Israelis are in a transition now from a Jewish ghetto to a Hebrew kingdom. It won’t be easy, but I’m sure it will happen. And When it happens – the light of Israel will shine brighter than ever.
The writer is a tour guide from Jerusalem. He has just finished five months of reserve military service.