The Invention of Jewish Theocracy

Abstract

The Invention of Jewish Theocracy is about Jewish religious approaches to law and politics in the State of Israel. It uncovers the forgotten history of religious Zionists who tried to create a “halakhic state” by making traditional Jewish law (halakha) into Israel’s official law. This endeavour brought about a conflict over Israel’s legal framework with the majority of Israeli Jews who wanted Israel to be a secular democracy. This struggle over legal authority became the backdrop for a pervasive culture war, whose consequences are felt throughout Israeli society until today. It has also shaped religious attitudes to many aspects of Israeli society and politics, created an ongoing antagonism with the state’s civil courts, and led to the creation of a new and increasingly powerful state rabbinate. The book uncovers the surprising truth, which runs counter to the common understanding, that the religious Zionist ideology of legal supremacy emerged no earlier than the middle of the twentieth century. Even more notably, the book shows that, far from being endemic to Jewish religious tradition as its proponents claim, the idea of the halakhic state borrows heavily from modern European jurisprudence.