Akiva Orr born was born in 1930’s Berlin and emigrated to Palestine in 1934 at the age of three.

Having moved to Tel Aviv during the 1940’s Orr was drafted into the the Haganah and eventually joined the Israeli Navy. At later dates he joined the Israeli Merchant Navy, the Israeli Communist Party and helped form Matzpen. More recently Orr advocates a one state solution to the vexed question of Israeli-Palestinian relations.

In the following article  Orr contends from a religious perspective Israel cannot be a Jewish state as it is not ruled by Halakhic laws. Secondly that support for Israel amongst many Zionists originates from a collective and deep rooted neurosis regarding their very own religious/ethnic identity :

“The Zionist movement and its State—ISRAEL, do not represent the Jewish people. They never did. They represent a particular trend within the Jewish people, namely—the nationalist trend. To find out whether Israel is a Jewish State or a Zionist State one need only ask any religious Orthodox Jew anywhere. His answer will be unambiguous: a Jewish State must be ruled by Jewish religious law—“Halakha.” Israel is not ruled by “Halakha” laws, but by secular laws. Therefore Israel is not a Jewish State….

…During the 19th Century, after the “Codex Napoleon” banned all legal restrictions against Jews and the Industrial Revolution offered them many new economic opportunities, most European Jews moved from their Ghettoes into the host societies and a process of fragmentation began in European Jewish communities. They split into three major fragments: 1) Religious 2) Secular and 3) Nationalist. Each of these fragments split further into secondary fragments: The Religious split into Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Traditional. The Nationalists—into Assimilationists, and Zionists, the Secular—into Marxists, Liberals and Cosmopolitans.

Within 100 years (1800-1900) 80% of European Jews ceased to live daily life according to the 613 religious rules. They became secular Cosmopolitans, Assimilationists, or Zionists. Only some 20% continued to live according to the religious rules….

….The relative sizes of the fragments (20%-Religious, 75%-Secular, 5%-Zionists) changed after the Nazis came to power in Germany, to 20%-50%-30%. The Jewish response to the rise of Nazism was a rise in Zionism. German nationalism culminated by creating Auschwitz and by trying to conquer Russia. Jewish nationalism culminated by conquering Palestine and by creating a Zionist State. Contrary to its claims, a Zionist State is not a Jewish State as a Jewish State is one ruled by Jewish religious law (“HALAKHA”) whereas the Zionist State is ruled (mainly) by secular law. Religious law is based on worship of God. Secular law is based on worship of the Nation. Zionism is Ethnocentric and worships the Jewish Nation. Judaism is Theocentric and worships the Jewish God. Religious Judaism considers the worship of the Jewish nation as blasphemy. Orthodox Jews in Israel refuse to serve in the Israeli Army, not because they are pacifist, but because they oppose a secular State pretending to be “Jewish.” Some refuse to vote in the elections, or to stand at attention when the national Anthem is played, some refuse to carry an Israeli passport. They consider Israel a State of blasphemers, not a “The Jewish State.”

….All Jews today accept two definitions of Jewish identity: the Rabbinical and the empirical. The Rabbinical definition states: “A Jew is one born to a Jewish mother.” The empirical states: “A Jew is one obeying daily the 613 religious rules for the conduct of daily life.” All other definitions are not accepted by all Jews. “Lapsed Jews” do not contest these two definitions. They contest their exclusivity, arguing that there are other valid definitions….

…As 80% of those who define themselves today as “Jews” do not live their daily life according to the 613 religious rules their “Jewish” ethnic identity is vague. This vagueness often generates an obsession to resolve it and becomes an identity complex. If it is acute it becomes a neurosis and as it is shared by many people it becomes a collective neurosis. This collective neurosis is the source of Zionism—and of Israeli politics. Unlike all other politics the prime aim of Israeli politics is to secure Israel’s secular Jewish identity, not its military security or its economic stability. The latter are means, not ends. The end is a secure ­SECULAR—Jewish ethnic IDENTITY. Zionism created the secular Zionist State as the core of the secular Jewish identity. Loyalty to the secular State has replaced loyalty to God. Loyalty to Israel has become the core of Jewish Identity for most “Lapsed Jews” everywhere…..” (Source: The Alternative Information Center)

To access more works by the author please click on:  Aki Orr Books

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