The minority in Israel that no longer needs to win votes
The minority in Israel that no longer needs to win votes newspress_en Mon, 08/10/2026 - 14:53 Politics When Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook died in 1982, he had never held political office, never led a party, and never sat in parliament. Yet few people shaped Israeli politics more. He spent most of his life running a religious college in Jerusalem, teaching a small number of students an idea inherited from…
Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, who never held political office or sat in parliament, profoundly influenced Israeli politics. Born in 1908, Kook founded a religious college in Jerusalem, imparting his father's teachings that the establishment of Israel was not just a political event, but a divine process. His students later formed the settlement movement, shaping the religious Zionist ideology that now permeates Israeli government.
This ideology has been formalized by key cabinet members such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who argue for settlement ideology as a religious duty. Today, Religious Zionism holds significant sway in Israeli politics, no longer needing to win votes as its principles are deeply embedded in the nation's cultural and political fabric.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
