National Religious Party - Religious Zionism: Background

Religious Zionism: Background

The Religious Zionist Movement is an Orthodox faction within the Zionist movement which combines a belief in the importance of establishing a Jewish state in the land of Israel following a religious way of life, in contrast to both secular Zionism and Haredi Orthodox movements. The spiritual and ideological founder of the Religious Zionist Movement was Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, who urged young religious Jews to settle in Israel and called upon the secular Labour Zionists to pay more attention to Judaism. Rabbi Kook saw Zionism as a part of a divine scheme which would result in a resettling of the Jewish people in its homeland, Israel, and, ultimately, the coming of the Messiah.