Support from the Israeli far-right has fueled the development of Jewish associations with a Messianic calling in Israel. What are the roots of this movement foundational to the religious Zionist ideology in Israel?
Messianism, or the belief in the Hebrew Messiah (referred to as Yeshua or Jesus), is held by a segment of the Jewish population who perceive him as the promised Messiah and savior in the Hebrew scriptures, coming to redeem the people of Israel at the end of the world.
French newspaper “La Croix” tried to address the question, starting its investigation by mentioning that around 15 Jews headed to the Old City in Jerusalem early on February 7th to “pray” in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. They believe (acknowledged by the newspaper) that Muslims have built their third-holiest site (the Al-Aqsa Mosque) at the location where the “Temple Mount, the holiest site for Jews” existed, referring to what Jews call the “Temple Mount.”
La Croix also noted that the Israeli police accompanied the group to face potential conflicts with Palestinians, stating that this is significant because regular visits by these Jews violate the delicate status quo reached in 1967, which grants non-Muslims specific visiting hours and prohibits them from praying in the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard.
Furthermore, the presence of this small group in the mentioned courtyard challenges the rules of the Great Rabbinate in Israel, which does not permit Jews to approach the “Holiest of Holies” on the “Temple Mount,” according to La Croix.
However, the association “Har HaBayit” (“Temple Mount” in Hebrew) organizes round-trip visits without concern for these considerations, as its members believe that claiming this sacred place is the way to build the third temple that will inevitably expedite the Messiah’s appearance, as they claim.
Har HaBayit is not the only entity striving to “hasten the coming of the Messiah.” Since the annexation of the Old City in Jerusalem in 1967, the Messianic thought of the rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, known as Rav Kook, has led to the establishment of several organizations.
Hence, the Temple Institute has been working since 1987 on rebuilding the songs, traditions, and vessels lost after the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD, while the association “Boneh Yisrael” (Builders of Israel) focuses on importing red heifers from Texas, which they claim are “necessary for the priests of the future third temple to sacrifice.”
Although these associations remain a minority, they have seen significant development due to funding from American evangelical Christian networks, and they have received major support for the past two years from supporters of religious Zionism within Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“In Jewish tradition, Messianism is achieved in two stages,” as Roberta Colomoran, a researcher in modern Jewish community anthropology at the Catholic Institute in Paris, asserts.
Firstly, “the gathering of the Jewish diaspora in the land of Israel,” or what they call “Torah lands,” and secondly, the construction of the third temple in Jerusalem.
However, there is still dissent within Jewish circles, as to whether the diaspora should be ended by humans or by the Lord.
At this point, the Hasidic circles differ from the Zionist principles in the 19th and 20th centuries, believing that if Jews are to return to Israel, it is not for humans to intervene in that.
The Hasidim, a Jewish religious and social movement that originated in the 17th century, are known for their religious adherence and social isolation, closely adhering to both Jewish practice and Orthodoxy.
