Avira Deara- In regards to Rav Kook’s ideas, certainly they weren’t the mainstream, but I’m not so sure that they’re completely alien ideas to Torah. Certainly the ideology of the secular Zionists, that nationalism is all that that matters, instead of Torah, is completely foreign to Yiddishkeit. Rav Kook never even remotely proposed that, however. He writes about how Jews developing the land of Eretz Yisroel have a certain holiness, even if they’re unfortunately not frum. There seem to be ideas like that in Torah. As mentioned before, the end of Kesubos discusses the importance of Eretz Yisroel. An Amorah kissed the rocks of Eretz Yisroel while another one rolled in it’s dust. The Meraglim were punished severely for speaking badly about Eretz Yisroel. Tosafos in Avoda Zarah has a Havah Amina that The Passuk which says “Lo Savie Toevah El Baysecha” (referring to idols” is only referring to a house in Eretz Yisroel since only EY can truly be considered our home. There is a famouys Sifrei which implies that there is an extra meaning to Mitzvos done in EY. Century after century The Jewish people have longed to live in EY. Some of the great transmitters of our Mesorah, such as Ramban, Rav Yehudah Halevi were Moser Nefesh, travelling for months, to get to Ey. The Gra and Baal Shem Tov both sent their Talmidim to Eretz Yisroel to build up the land. Kol Htor attributed to the Gra’s Talmid based off the Gra’s teachings talks about the importance of building up the land. Admittedly, Rav Kook’s statements are not the mainstream, but I don’t think that means they’re foreign concepts which have no basis in Torah, only in nationalism.
In regards to his Shittah about befriending the Kofrim who were building up the land, they were mostly Tinok Shenishbah, in regards to whom it is universally accepted that we are supposed to be loving to. He was also trying to be be Mekarev them, and he was actually succesful at being Mekarev many people. Rav Kook was not the only one like this. The Gemorah (Sanhedrin 37A) records that Rav Zeira befriended the local hooligans to be Mekarev them (although the Gemarah says that the other Chachomim disagreed), and was successful. The Baal Shem Tov was known to befriend the local thieves to try to be Mekarev them. Rav Levi Yitzchak would find the good in every Jew, even the biggest Baal Aveirah. This was a common theme in Chassidus.
“There’s a world of difference between rabbonim who were happy to have a place to go after the Holocaust, and those who were nationalistic, who believed in a state as an ideal, in contrast to the mesorah of how jews ought to behave in galus.”
If You’re referring to the Shalosh Sheveuos, many Gedolim didn’t view it as a problem for varios reasons. 1) Belfour Declorations means the state was established with concent of nations. 2) Shevuos are interdependent. When the nations broke their end, we can break our end, and establish a state. Mesoras Moshe quotes that Rav Moshe viewed this as a strong Sevorah. There are other reasons also. If theres no problem of Shalosh Shevuos, then theres no reason why a state shouldn’t be ideal, unless from angle of Pikuach Nefesh which is a different discussion. As mentioned before, Rav Tzvi Pesach frank, and Rav Isser Zalman viewed it as Aschalta Digeulah which means they certainly did view it as ideal.
“Religious Zionists as a result routinely give weight to other things besides torah. They believe it valuable to serve in thea army, that any and all soldiers are martyers and holy, despite living with women in the same barracks.”
i can’t speak for all of them, but i think the reason why many of them consider it so important to serve in the army is not because they consider nationalism to be just as important as Torah. It is because they consider the goverment to be Malchus Yisroel, and consider the wars to be a Milchemes Mitzvah. If this is actually the case, then they are actually doing a Mitzvah. You might not agree Halichically, that it’s Milchemes Mitzvah, but their Shitah is based off Halacha, not based off of their equaling nationalism to Torah.
In regards to their considering soliders to be holy, one cannot deny the incredible Mesiras Nefesh that the soliders have to fight for their fellow brethren. Also, this is not just a Religious Zionist view. Chareidi Gedolim have also considered the soldiers to be very holy. During one of the wars, for example, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz remarked that any solider who gets killed in battle has the status of Herukei Lod, who have an exceptionally lofty status in Olam Habah (quoted in “Timepieces” by rav Lopiansky, among other places). Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach remarked to a Bochur that when he’s looking for Kivrei Tzaddikim to Daven at, he goes to Mt. Hertzl to the grave of the murdered soldiers and Davens there.