Denmark Vesey Discovers Anti-Zionist Jews

Denmark Vesey made a rather fascinating post today bringing up one of the most fascinating phenomenon I have encountered in my studies of Judaism - the anti-Zionist Jews.

Yes, my friends, there are überfrum Jews out there who actually do not believe that the State of Israel should exist.

As I understand it, this is due to purely theological grounds. According to very strict interpretations of Torah, it is only the place of the Messiah to re-establish the State of Israel.

However, also as I understand it, many Jews in the world lean more towards the secular. As I understand it, many no longer believe in a personal Messiah but rather believe in a "Messianic Age" that we all have a duty to help bring about.

I think a great many other Jews over the last couple of centuries also reasoned that if they didn't build a homeland for themselves, their extinction was just around the corner.

Yes, technically the State of Israel may be treife.

But, as Rabbi Gary Zola of Hebrew Union College once expained to me, when your life is at stake you can violate each and every one of the 613 mitzvot with the exception of three - murder, idolatry, and a quite fascinating list of sexual deviations.

Somehow I don't think founding the State of Israel is one of those three ...