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Pitfalls of Post-Secularism: Jewish Fundamentalism and Current Israeli Society

Publication at Hussite Theological Faculty |
2016

Abstract

Taking into view the current social, political and religious issues in Western Europe, the author in this article poses a question whether European society is not currently undergoing a process of "Israelization", by which he means a growing cultural stand-of("Kulturkampf") between the essentially liberal and secular fabric of Western European society and the authoritative-religious (theocratic) ambitions nursed by some subcultures formed and backed up by a considerable number of Europe's Muslim population. The author points out that while European countries have become awakened to this burning issue only recently, Israeli society has already been facing up a similar problem for two decades at least.

Then, the author focuses on various subcultures existing in the State of Israel and their ideologies poised to defy Israeli democracy, be it the camp of Ultraorthodox Judaism or the radicalized groups operating on the platform of Messianic Religious Zionism. Toward the end of the article, the author takes an interest in a new radical youth movement hailing from the Jewish settlements in the West Bank called "The Hilltop Youth" that has recently come into focus of Israeli media, and the ideological outlook of which shows some resemblance to ISIS.