"The Rabbis Have Won"

Excitement ran high as results poured in from Israel's General Election last November. When it became clear that four Orthodox Religious Parties would hold the balance of power one Likud supporter declared, "The rabbis have won"!

It was indeed remarkable that the religious parties had increased their representation in the Knesset (Israel's parliament) from twelve to eighteen seats. Four years previously the two main patties, Likud and Labour, had formed a so-called government of national unity in an attempt to escape from dependence on the minority religious parties. The uneasy alliance brought deepening friction and frustration, for Simon Peres and Yitzak Shamir, leaders of the two coalition groups, were committed to different policies on several major issues. In particular, Peres favoured giving up some territory if this would buy peace with the Arab population; but Shamir strongly resisted any territorial concessions. Again, Peres advocated no new settlements in the "occupied territories", whereas Shamir urged the rapid development of more settlements.

With eighteen Knesset seats the four religious patties were in a key position to extract concessions and gain positions in the new government as the price for their support. Among their religious demands were included generous funding for religious schools and continued exemption from military service for 17,000 religious students.

Even more irritating to the secular majority were demands for stricter laws to ban all public entertainment, transportation and commercial transactions on the Sabbath. Existing restrictions for which the religious groups had successfully campaigned were most unpopular. Nevertheless the political influence now at the disposal of the rabbis could well force the government's hand.

The religious parties also oppose any attempts to change the electoral system so that smaller groups would have less influence. Proportional representation plays into their hands. Control of certain ministries such as Education, Religion and Labour and Housing would certainly be part of the price demanded for their cooperation.

But perhaps the most controversial of all is the pressure likely to be exerted by these parties for a radical change in the famous Law of Return.

Since the inception of the State of Israel in 1948 this law has given every Jew opportunity to enter Israel and claim full rights of citizenship. It is now proposed that there should be a "Who is a Jew" amendment to the Law of Return. This amendment would recognize as Jews only those who had been born to a Jewish mother, or were converted to Judaism by an Orthodox rabbi. In last month's "Focus" it was noted that Orthodox Judaism in the United States has stricter conditions for acceptance of Gentile converts than the Conservative or Reform Groups. Most Jews in the United States belong to these two groups. So if the amendment desired by Orthodox rabbis in Israel were to be accepted, many Jewish people from the United States and elsewhere would no longer be eligible for automatic entry and Israeli citizenship.

Whatever success the Israeli Orthodox parties may achieve in gaining such objectives, it becomes clear that during recent years Judaistic fundamentalism has gained significant ground among the electorate. Perhaps this is partly a reaction to the Arab uprising, with its strident demands for an autonomous status in the West Bank and Gaza. Convictions have been polarized through discussion of the possibility of ceding parts of ancient Galilee and Samaria, as advocated by one of the main parties.

Passionately believing that these areas are part of the Jewish national heritage, the Orthodox religious patties form a natural rallying point for all who share this conviction.

Against the broad background of scriptural prophecy about Israel at the time of the end these present trends are thought provoking. There is the deep division between those who would trade land for peace and those who would refuse to yield an inch of territory. Is it the former element with which the Antichrist will be able to negotiate his seven-year covenant? "He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week" (Dan. 9:27). And when that agreement is broken after three-and-a-half years, will the fiercely resistant spirit of resurgent Orthodox Judaism lie at the heart of the astonishing capability of Israel's defence forces to resist for a similar period the concentration of military power which Antichrist will bring to bear? (Zech. 12:3).

If so, the rabbis' political victory in November 1988 may well have longer term significance.

unknown | Mar 1989
Focus