Jewish Challenges

Tsvi's views about Jewish identity and Zionism are uniquely his own.

He believes there are two fundamental visions regarding Zionism. The first says that the purpose of Zionism is to redeem the past; that the Jewish people are obligated by history to create a state in order to redeem the entire  Land of Israel (which would include Judea, Samaria, and even parts of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan). This vision sees the state as a means to the land and the people as a means to the state.

The second says the purpose of Zionism is to create alternative Jewish options by creating a majority Jewish state. This vision sees the land as the means to the state and the state as the means to serve the people. It sees the land as an essential prerequisite for the creation of the state and the state as an essential prerequisite for creating alternative future options for the Jewish people. This is Tsvi's vision.

To paraphrase Lincoln, Tsvi believes Israel cannot for long exist half democratic (the constitutional democracy in which all Israel's citizens live) and half undemocratic (the military regime in the West Bank). Either the regime in the West Bank becomes democratic (which means the end of Israel as a Jewish state) or the regime in Israel proper will become increasingly undemocratic.

For his General Jewish Perspective, click here.

Sample Lectures:

• Reinventing Israel-Diaspora Relations
• Israel in 21^st Century: Nothing Fails Like Success
• Suicide or Optimism: Which will the Jews Choose?
• Israel's Electoral System is not the Problem
• Israel: Historic Laxness of Reform and Conservative Jewry

Target Audiences:

• Missions and Organized Tours to Israel
• Tourist Agencies and Tour Guides looking for new content to sell to traditional and new clients
• Birthright and Masa
• Synagogues and Community Centers in Europe and USA.