The ideology of Religious Zionism is commonly described by the phrase “Am Yisrael, Be’Eretz Yisrael al pi Torat Yisrael” (The nation of Israel, In the land of Israel, according to the Torah of Israel).  The integrated elements of all three components of Jewish identity underscored much of the conversation of last weekend’s Religious Zionist conference in Perth. 

A number of things became evident through the sharing of experiences.  Whilst there is a vibrant and growing Modern Orthodox Jewish community in Australia, amongst the ranks of which come most Australian religious Zionist activists, it was apparent that the wider community of Australian Jews, Christian Zionists and other supporters of Israel as a Jewish State, are not well versed in the ideological motivations of Religious Zionism.  At the opening of the conference I was asked by a community leader of a local Jewish organisation what the difference was between a secular Zionist and a religious Zionist.  After all, both support Jewish national self determination in the land of Israel.   

Rabbi Davey Blackman and Rabbi Ronen Neuwirth in the course of their talks over the conference weekend both touched on one of the major distinguishing factors.  When it comes to plain Zionism, it is reflected by a love of the land of Israel.  When it comes to religious Zionism, the land of Israel is a physical manifestation of the love of Hashem.  Put another way, Zionism is based on values that are relative to an ideology which is subject to change due to societal influence.  For example, post Zionism is an expression that suggests traditional Zionism has been outdated, due to the ideals of Jewish settlement of the land having been acheived.  The mission of creating a nation has been fulfilled, therefore the pioneering spirit is no longer required.   By contrast, religious Zionism is based on more eternal values, which are not relative to external influences (economic, commercial, political), but rather the values of the Torah and the law of Halacha.

Secular Zionism regards Israel as a destination, and religious Zionism regards Israel as a destiny.  What is the difference? Too often people confuse these terms or consider them to be one and the same.  The reality is that when you reach a destination your journey stops.  Secular Zionism sends out the signal; We have Israel, our destination point has been reached and therefore we need nothing further except the expression and celebration of a cultural norm.  Destiny however is something different. It is the process of actualisation and the mission of our people.  Moses pleaded to Pharoah – “Let my people go, so that they may serve me”.  Secular Zionism takes the first part of the quote – let my people go so we can reach Israel.  Religious Zionism takes this one step further by adding purpose – let my people go so we can reach Israel and fulfill the covenant that G-d entered into with our people. 

One of the outcomes of the Religious Zionist conference hosted last week was to inject greater visibility and pride into the religious Zionist activities that are accessible to the Jewish community.  All of this can only be acheived through collaboration and involvement (as opposed to an exclusionist approach and superiority complex that sometimes unfortunately becomes the prevailing attitude of the religious sector).  There are bridges to be built.  The Tzohar movement in Israel is an example of this.  It was noted by Rabbi Neuwirth that the relative bounds of religious tolerance in Israel have significantly shifted in recent years.  There is greater tolerance and less of a divide between the observant and non-observant, leading to unity and respect.    That is a trend that we can only learn from and emulate in our own community.

Rabbi Neuwirth also noted in a conference speech that Israel has much to learn from Perth.  We have a single school that caters to the spectrum of the community’s youth.   We have a unified community and evident vibrancy and pride.  The enthusiam of the Jewish youth of Perth is noted in Israel as our community members attend Israel programs, attend smachot, and make Aliyah.  Rabbi Neuwirth described Perth as a model Jewish community from which Israel can learn many lessons about Jewish cooperation and unity across different ideological groups. 

It was cynically remarked that a conference on Religious Zionism hosted anywhere outside of Israel is an oxymoronic concept.  It is true that the expression of any form of Zionism, but particularly religious Zionism, is served by example – being in Israel.  In the context of noting that this opportunity exists today in a way in which has not been possible for 2,000 years,  to be a citizen of a Jewish State in the land of Israel, it is an important and absolute expression. 

For those of us in the Diaspora, Religious Zionist education takes a different form and focus.  We can do our bit from afar, during our own temporal stay in exile, to support Israel, and enthuse Jewish youth with their own Jewish experience and develop their own desire to connect with Israel.  To acheive this we need a little of Israel, in the form of Shlichim, to join our communities and develop this kesher.  Nobody is pretending that being a religious Zionist advocate in a Diaspora location is an ideal, or a satisfactory substitute to the Mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael.  However circumstances are that there is still a Jewish Diaspora, and so long as this is the case, that Diaspora still has a role to play in the ingathering of our people to their homeland, reishit smichat geulatenu.

Last weekend the Perth Jewish community delivered a spectacular event to a number of professional educators and youth leaders to support, connect and enthuse their efforts to deliver their brand of Religious Zionist Jewish identity into the Jewish commuinties of Australia.  It is a cause well worth supporting, and the quality of leadership that sits within the Religious Zionist institutions of Australia has again shown itself to be world class.

Of all the outcomes of the conference, and there were many, the biggest lesson was that Religious Zionism is a two way street.  As much as we can learn from Israel, so too, Israel can learn much from us.

The Australian Federal Police, sent to Israel to investigate the ongoing trial by media relating to the Dubai assassination of Hamas gun runner, Mabhouh, have demonstrated quite clearly that they have no respect for Israeli’s whatsoever.

Only a few hours after arriving, the members of the AFP task force, who are in Israel seeking to ascertain if Israel had stolen Australian passports, managed to hit a cyclist with their car – and then failed to stop: a classic “hit and run” (something they would lose their jobs for and face jail time over, had they done it “back home” in Australia).

From The Australian:

In an extraordinary turn of events, a car screeched out of the car park under the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv and hit a woman riding a bicycle, who was not seriously injured.

But the car did not stop, instead continuing on its high-speed journey.

The female cyclist who was hit was not badly injured, however she has asked that she at least get an apology and a new bike wheel, from the Australian government.

The woman, Oshra Bar, told one media outlet last night: “I want an apology and a new wheel. I was hit and I kind of bounced.”

This incident highlights the utter disrespect for Israel and Israeli’s that the AFP officers have taken with them, on this investigation. Can you imagine an Australian police officer hitting a cyclist here in Australia, and then driving off without stopping? Imagine the media furore? The officer would unquestionably lose their job, at the very least.

The very fact that they felt that because it was “only an Israeli (Jew)”, they did not need to stop and provide assistance or even basic first aid, shows an extremely serious character flaw in either the officers themselves or the institution they serve. At the very least, it shows that they feel the laws they are sworn to uphold do not apply to them, personally. To say the least, they are extremely lucky Oshra Bar was not seriously injured.

I’d like to hear if Kevin Rudd thinks this is the “act of a friend” or not?

It is a huge weekend for Perth.  The second Australian Conference of Religious Zionist Institutions is being hosted in Perth this weekend.

Following the inaugural event in Melbourne, this conference will showcase the accomplishments and developments of religious Zionist education in Australia, particularly Perth.

For the first time the Torah MiTzion programs of three different States of Australia, Melbourne, Perth, and now Sydney, will join in a plennery and talk about yeshiva education in a religious zionist context.

Bnei Akiva will be represented from all three States, with the Rabbi of Adelaide also in attendance.   More than 50 delegates, all eduators or lay-leaders and administrators for Religious Zionist education will pool their collective strength to develop new ideas and consolidate resources.

The conference will be visiting a number of Shules, a host of learning activities and celebrations will also be part of the event.  It promises to be an amazing weekend.

It also promises to demonstrate the tremendous value the investment that the Perth Jewish community has made into delveoping a yeshiva and resourcing Bnei Akiva with Shlichim.  The quality and strength of this activity is a measure of great pride for Perth Jewry, and is becoming more and more recognised through the reputation of our youth.

Congratulations to the Religious Zionist movement for continuing the momentum of representing the ideals of  Eretz Yisrael le-am Yisrael al pi Torat Yisrael into the Jewish community of Australia.

I have received a pointed email wanting to know why, in the midst of the “passport scandal”, Jewgle Perth has nothing to say about the “violation of Australian soveriegnty”. 

The reason is, the Jewgle team have been out celebrating the festival of Purim.  Rabbenu Artscroll describes this festival as follows: 

“The miracle of Purim took place in what was surely the darkest period in Jewish history up to that time.  The first Temple had been destroyed and the Land of Israel had been virtually denuded of its Jews.  Permission had been granted to begin building the second Temple, but the work was halted by King Achesverosh of Persia.  Even when it did proceed, only 40,000 Jews had the courage to return to Eretz Yisrael.  The nation was demoralised….”

“The book of Esther chronicles a new kind of miracle.  The name of G-d does not appear at all because it was hidden throughout.  The story of Esther and Mordechai took place ove a period of nine years and it reads like a string of fortuitous coincidences.  Precisely that it is a miracle and its message, because the book of Esther taught the Jewish people that G-d always hovers near his people, and teaches that there are no coincidences in Jewish history.  Isolated incidents always have a pattern, even when we do not have prophets and sages to decipher them for us.  The messages of Purim are timeless, even without the inspiration of the Temple and G-ds revealed presence”.

There is no better time to understand the Jewish people’s relationship with both the Omniscient creator, and the Sovereign rulers of contemporary civil law, than on the day of Purim.  In particular, observance of the “law of the land” is a Civic obligation that remains sacrosanct for Jewish people, but nonetheless a state of being which has often been turned against Jewish communities without just cause.

The passport scandal situation before us is, at this point in time, a trial by media.  The media have, whilst noting that the Government of Israel have neither confirmed or denied that it had any involvement in the assasination of Mahmoud Mabhouh in Dubai, clearly declared a belief that it was a Mossad sting.  The indignant and self righteous condemnation from Kevin Rudd and Stephen Smith seems to be an assertive, but premature reaction that is politically expedient, but lacking in substance and without regard of the longer-term consequence.

As a Jewgle blogger, I have no better knowledge than any other Australian as to whether the Mossad were culpable of identity theft of three Australian citizens. 

I would however like to state that I concur wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed by the Australian Government, that passport violations are a serious breach of Australian soveriegnty and not to be taken lightly. In the same context, I would also like to state that Israel has the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. 

The analogy to Purim, is that so much of this story just does not make sense.  Why would it be that Israeli identities (quite traceable from the point of entry to Dubai on any legitimate passport) are used to mask the accused assassins?  Why do the falsified documents, so brazenly displayed by the media carry photos with dimensions and angles that would clearly not meet the standards of the Australian authorities and would easily be identifiable as a falsified document by even the most simplistic customs officer (ever tried to get a passport recently)?  Why is only a certain amount of footage and imagery being provided to the media for the clear construction of a narrative that may or may not be legitimate?   

There has been a lot of internet analysis and commentary that infers an attitude of ”so what?”  Even if it was the Mossad, Israel has the right to pursue targeted killing of a combatant, with no collateral damage against civilians, as a justified act of warfare.  These articles suggest there are no other means to pusue terrorists other than to travel on false identities, and that furthermore, every intelligence agency in the world engages in such practices.  There are reports that Mabhouh himself had five foreign passports on him when he was assasinated, and that it is hypocritical that these violations of soveriegnty found no voice of condemnation.   There are reports that it was in Dubai’s interest to deflect blame to Israel, even though many Islamic terrorist groups had plenty motivation to also target this criminal.

I do not see the same intrigue, or “whodunnit” type of romance that the media seem to find in this story.  I find a lack of jounalistic integrity and a double standard.  The reported message is that Israel is guilty by implication, and that Israeli diplomatic relations with Israel have regressed due to calculated assumptions. 

Reading this story over the past few days has made me feel like a character in a Purim shpeil.  Here I am, a Jewish advocate, being asked to defend the indefensible, even though circumstancea are far from clear and the laws of logic have no bearing on the political dynamics of the moment.   Our Government, seem to have a comical relationship with their “loyal subjects”.  The number one issue in the land is how to stuff pink batts into the roofs of our houses, and the number two issue is to condemn the only Government in the world that seems to actively pursue the terrorist threat that threatens its existance based on an assumed act of false identity. 

This story will only wither and die if the Australian Government decides to put an end to it.  If the diplomatic impasse continues to serve as a convenient political deflection, then maybe we will hear more self righteous pomposity from our Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.  The upshot of it all is that Israel is unlikely to waiver – its policy of ambiguity will remain.  The intent of Israel to eliminate the terrorist threat (a real and complex existential threat to the nation) will continue through whatever means are necessary.  Israel will conclude that sometimes diplomatic fallout is necessary.  It is a better alternative to contemplate, as opposed to radioactive fallout.

I do not sanction a violation of Australian sovereignty.  I do not know whether Israel is guilty of this or not.  I do not accept the media’s charge to demonise Israel as the guilty party on the basis of a game of “join the dots”.  But I do care – about the value and integrity of my Australian passport, about the security of the State of Israel, and about the need for journalistic integrity when it comes to translating the opinion of Dubai security agents into factual missive.  Sadly, all three of the above seem to be under threat, and all the meanwhile my representative Government seem to have completely lost the plot. 

“In the third year of the reign of King Rudd Achashverosh, the King conferred with the experts who knew the times, for such was the King’s procedure to turn to all who knew law and judgement.  Those closest to him were the seven officers of Persia and Media, who had access to the King.  Memuchan-Smith declared before the King “let it be that their passports be revoked, and that the King’s decree shall be a proclamation throughout the nation”.  And it came to pass that the passports were petitioned.  And the King levied taxes on all the land. 

The Jews througout the provinces organised and defended themselves, gaining relief from their foes, treating their enemies as they pleased.   On that very day when the enemies of the Jews expected to gain the upper hand it was turned about.  The Jews gained the upper hand on their adversaries and sought to attack those who sought their hurt.  The Jews gained relief from their enemies and transformed the occasion from one of sorrow to gladness.  The days were chronicled to be remembered and celebrated by every single generation.  Esther’s ordinance validated the passport regulations on the day of Purim and it was recorded for the sake of all those concerned for the welfare and prosperity of the free world.”          

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