Do Orthodox Jews Support Israel?

Do Orthodox Jews Support Israel?

This question seems simple but opens up one of the most complex internal discussions in Orthodox Judaism. The relationship between Orthodox Jews and the State of Israel is layered, passionate, and anything but monolithic.

The direct answer: the vast majority of Orthodox Jews support Israel's existence and care deeply about its security and its Jewish residents. However, the theological meaning they assign to the state, and the nature of their support, varies enormously across Orthodox communities.

Religious Zionism

Religious Zionists (Dati Leumi) see the State of Israel as the beginning of divine redemption — reishit tzmichat geulateinu (the first flowering of our redemption), as the prayer for the state puts it. Key beliefs include:

• The establishment of Israel in 1948 was a miraculous act of divine intervention
• Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel is a Torah value and a mitzvah
• Serving in the Israeli army is a religious obligation
• Building the land — settling, farming, developing — is sacred work

Major figures like Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and his son Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook shaped this ideology, which drives the Religious Zionist community in Israel. In America, Modern Orthodox Jews generally align with this perspective, actively supporting Israel through philanthropy, political advocacy, and personal connection.

Ultra-Orthodox Non-Zionism

Many Charedi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews take a different approach. They support Israel as a Jewish homeland and care about its residents, but they don't assign the state religious significance. Their view:

• The modern state is a secular political entity, not a religious phenomenon
• They don't say the prayer for the state in their synagogues
• Many participate in Israeli politics (Charedi parties like Shas and United Torah Judaism hold significant Knesset seats)
• They benefit from and contribute to Israeli society while maintaining ideological distance from Zionist ideology

This isn't opposition — it's a theological distinction. Charedi Jews in Israel send their children to school there, shop in Israeli stores, and live fully integrated lives. They simply don't view the state itself as having messianic significance.

Anti-Zionist Orthodoxy

A small but vocal minority of Orthodox Jews actively opposes the State of Israel on religious grounds. The most prominent group is Satmar Chassidim, following the teachings of the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum.

Their arguments, drawn from the Talmud (Kesubos 111a):

• Jews took an oath not to return to the Land of Israel "as a wall" (en masse) before the Messiah comes
• Establishing a state by human political action, rather than waiting for divine redemption, violates this oath
• The secular nature of the state compounds the problem

Neturei Karta, an extreme splinter group, takes this opposition further — sometimes appearing at anti-Israel rallies. However, they represent a tiny fraction even within the anti-Zionist camp, and their tactics are widely condemned across the Orthodox spectrum.

One clarification: even anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews care deeply about the Jewish residents of Israel. Their opposition is to the state as a political entity, not to the Jewish people living there.

What Does Support Look Like?

For Orthodox Jews who support Israel, that support is tangible:

• Financial: Enormous philanthropic giving to Israeli institutions, charities, and causes
• Personal: Many families have children studying in Israeli yeshivas, serving in the army, or living permanently in Israel
• Political: Active engagement with American politics on Israel-related issues
• Prayer: Daily prayers include requests for the welfare of the Land of Israel and its residents
• Emotional: When Israel faces threats, the Orthodox community mobilizes with prayer gatherings, fundraising, and vocal support

The Nuances

This issue defies easy categorization. The same Chassidic rebbe who doesn't say the prayer for the state may have yeshivas in Israel with hundreds of students. The same anti-Zionist community may send millions of dollars in charity to Israeli families.

There's also generational movement. Younger Charedi Jews in Israel, born and raised in the state, often have a more pragmatic relationship with it than their grandparents did. The ideological debates continue, but daily reality creates its own connections.

The Common Ground

Despite all the internal disagreements, virtually all Orthodox Jews agree on certain things:

• The Land of Israel is the Jewish homeland, promised to Abraham
• Jews living in Israel deserve safety and security
• Anti-Semitism, including anti-Israel anti-Semitism, must be opposed
• Jerusalem holds unparalleled sanctity in Jewish thought

The arguments are about statehood, timing, and theology — not about whether Jews belong in the Land of Israel. That's a settled question across the entire Orthodox spectrum.

Want to learn more? Read about the history of Israel or explore the Hasidic world.