Palestine

Herzlians repeatedly oversimplify the Orthodox Jewish opposition to Zionism as a mere question of timing: if the Moshiach arrived, then Orthodox Jews would support Zionism. In reality, the occupation violates numerous Judaic rules: its very founding in 1948 involved the theft of land as well as the slaughter of innocents.

A few weeks ago I was rereading Isaiah, and while I am well aware that it could not possibly have been referring to events in the distant future, it could hardly be more relevant today. Isaiah 3:

G-d enters the courtroom.
He takes his place at the bench to judge his people.
G-d calls for order in the court,
hauls the leaders of his people into the dock:
“You’ve played havoc with this country.
Your houses are stuffed with what you’ve stolen from the poor.
What is this anyway? Stomping on my people,
grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt?”

Isaiah 4:

Doom to you who buy up all the houses
and grab all the land for yourselves—
Evicting the old owners,
posting no trespassing signs,
Taking over the country,
leaving everyone homeless and landless.
I overheard G-d-of-the-Angel-Armies say:
“Those mighty houses will end up empty.
Those extravagant estates will be deserted.
A ten-acre vineyard will produce a pint of wine,
a fifty-pound sack of seed, a quart of grain.”

(Emphasis added.)