The proposed paper examines key elements in the political thought and practice of Yosef Burg (1909—1999). Trained as a rabbi and educator, Burg’s religious-Zionist activism in Germany led to an unexpected career in politics and government. Burg co-founded the progressive wing of Ha-Poel Ha-Mizrahi, and eventually rose to the chairmanship of the National-Religious Party (NRP) and the presidency of the World Mizrahi Movement. As a leading figure in religious-Zionism, Burg also became a mainstay in the Israeli cabinet and the Knesset for nearly four decades.
Burg’s tenure as NRP Chairman was marked by an ongoing struggle against proponents of political messianism and territorial maximalism, both within the party and religious Zionism in general. While the ideological impetus for Burg’s opponents—especially Gush Emunim—has been studied extensively, Burg’s theo-political motivations for resisting these hardliners has received little scrutiny.
I argue that Burg was guided by an applied political philosophy which informed, and was informed by, his religious-political practice. Burg posited that Orthodox Jewry and “pioneering,” socialist Zionists were obligated to partner in building and governing the Jewish state. Cultivating this partnership, upholding core values, and advancing the national interest, necessitated a realist approach to politics based on the prevailing social, political, and economic conditions. Thus, Burg aspired to a principled realpolitik which rejected “mystical” considerations in matters of security and foreign relations, including territorial concessions in the Land of Israel. Consequently, Burg’s position on territorial compromise fluctuated over time, but he remained fundamentally at odds with messianic religious Zionism even during his more “hawkish” phases.