Rabbi: I am not praising or dismissing anyone. I am simply stating facts the way I see them without taking sides in this debate.
The way I see it is:
First of all, whatever happens and happened in Eretz Yisrael is Hashem’s will. Nothing happens without the will of Hashem. That is premise number 1.
The Israeli army is fighting to protect Yidden and the soldiers deserve our tefillos. The soldiers are putting themselves in harms way for people living in Meah Shearim too.
Having said that: The only reason the army can protect the yidden, is because Hashem wills it. Naturally with the amount of enemies surrounding Israel, Israel should’ve been gone by now. In reality Hashem is fighting the wars for us.
The anti Zionist group, had a point in the 40’s and 50’s when the Zionists were kidnapping Teimene babies, and cutting their peyos off in absorption centers. In those days the Zionists were definitely trying to create a G-D-less country, and the Anti Zionists took on the role of the Maccabees with the cry of Mee LaHashem Ailye.
Today, most of the old guard Anti – G-d Zionists are dead. There still are some of them like Tommy Lapid. However, most of the yidden in Eretz Yisrael even the frei yidden, believe in G-D, Fast on Yom Kippur and are looking for direction. Most are tikonos shenishba and it behooves frum Jews to be them mekarev, not to hate them.
What I disagree with from both sides of this debate is:
The Pro Zionists have made yishuv Eretz Yisrael into the first and foremost mitzvah in the Torah. The fact is that if it would be mandatory for yidden in diaspora according to the Torah, to live in Eretz Yisrael, you wouldn’t find Gedolim in Diaspora and you do.
The anti Zionists have made anti Zionism their Torah. And while it had a place in the past, it is time to get with the times. It isn’t relevant anymore. Yes there are Frei Yidden in charge of the Medina. However, as mentioned most of them in year 2016 are simply tinokos shenishba. The time to hate them is gone. It’s time to be them mekarev to yiddishkeit.