The Mafdal (In Hebrew writing מפד"ל ) is an Israeli political party representing the religious Zionist movement. Mafdal is an accronymous for מפלגה דתית לאומית , Religious and National Party or N.R.P for short.
The Religious Zionist Movement (RZM for short) is a faction within the Zionist movement which justifies the Zionist efforts to build a Jewish state in the land of Israel on the basis of the Jewish religion. The main ideologist of the RZM was Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook who funded the RZM and urged young religious Jews to support the Zionist efforts to settle Israel and effect the secular socialist Zionists to pay more attention and thoughtfullness toward Judaism. Rabbi Kook saw Zionisn as a part of a divine scheme which will result at the end in resettling of the Jewish people in its homeland and the coming of the Messiah.
The Mafdal was created after Hapoel Ha-Mizrachi ("The Oriental Worker") and Ha-Mizrachi ("The Oriental") merged on 1956. From them until 1973 it had about 10-12 seats in the Knesset. The funders of the Mafdal were doctor Jossef Burg and Haim Moshe Shapira who focused Mafdal activity mainly on religious issues and building a Jewish society rather than secular one. Their goal was to encourage and build immogration toward Israel, development and settlements of Israel and educating the youth in Jewish manner.
The Mafdal has owned a Worker Union (Hapoel Ha-Mizrahi), a newspaper (Ha-Tzofe) and a youth-movement (Bnei Akiva). The newspaper and the youth movement are still exist today and are vivid and vital as ever.
At 1969 a new generation rose in the Mafdal, led by the late Zvulon Hamer and by Yeuda Ben-Meir demanded the party will also handle social and economical issues, and not just on national and religious issues.
In the 1980's Mafdal seats were shrunk for 6 but it still had great influence. Although Mafdal is considered to be a right-wing party, it was willing to form a government with the Israeli Labor Party and even Meretz but also formed governments with Begin's Herut and later - the Likud.
In the 1970's and the 1980's Mafdal supported the settlement movement in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and built there schools, Yeshivot and synagouges.
In 1997, Zvulon Hamer, then the Education minister, passed away because of a heart attack.
Mafdal is a Zionist party and states that Israel is a "Jewish democratic state". The Mafdal main goal is to contribute as much as it can to the state of Israel and influence its character to be more Jewish, including to fight till death for the protection of Israel and for maintaining Israel's security.
The Mafdal also emphasis national unity and vowed to use as bridge between the different parts of Israeli soceity.
The Mafdal is the patron of most of the national religious schools who teaches both Judaism and general mandatory educational issue such as mathematics, English, Literature, physics, biology etc. It even sponspers some pre-military schools desginated for giving high education to future IDF officers and commanders. Beside on funding and patronising national religious schools it also supporting Yeshiva schools and Beit Midrash schools, places deticated only to learning the Torah. There are also running "Yesivot Hesder", places that allow religious soldier to combine combat military service with learning Torah.
Source: http://www.mafdal.org.il/?sid=27
The Mafdal is against separation of religion and state and believe that Israel should keep its special Jewish character and enhance its commitment to the Jewish heritage.
The Mafdal argues that affairs of personal state (such as marriage, divorces and burial) should be kept within the sovereignty of the Rabbis (or other religious clerics for non-Jews). It also states that only orthodox conversion is valid but advocate that the Rabbinate institutation must act to ease the procedures on non-Jews who want to convert.
The Mafdal claims that the Jewish state much show respect for the Jewish religion by preserving the Sabbath and Kosher food in its institution and organizations (such as the IDF, the police and governmental companies such as El Al natioal airliners).
Judea and Shomron were parts of the ancient kingdom of Israel and Mafdal consider them as an integral part of the homeland. Therefore, it sees nothing wrong in resettling the old land after 2000 years of exile. Moreover, Mafdal sees the settlements as noble ideologic acts to keep the Mitzvah of settling the land of Israel. That is the reason why it supports them and many of its supporters and parlaiment members are settlers.
While others are willing to give the territories to a future Palestinian state, the Mafdal is ruling out that option. The 4 principles are:
After the breaking of the Palestians violent riots and the massive waves of terrorism against Israel, Mafdal demended harsh military response to "root out terror infrastructure". It also called to disband the "terror supportive" Palestinian Authority and to deport the PLO back to Tunis.
Mafdal believes that Israel can stop the waves of Palestinian violence by using military force adaquetly.
Source: http://www.mafdal.org.il/?sid=27
The Mafdal have 6 seats in the current Knesset (16th Knesset). The member of parlaiment are:
Mafdal supports composed mainly from the religious Zionists are ideologic religious Jews, which obey all the laws and commandment (Mitzvah) of Judaism. They are considered as highly-motivated and disciplined soldiers and have excellent reputation of contributing to the Israeli state and the Israeli society. However, they are idealist and very stubborn concerning ideology issues. Many of them are living in West Bank settlements.
However, there is a lot of critism about the Mafdal that it focused too much on the West Bank settlements and neglected other issues such as education, social responsability and Ahavat Israel.
Critics from the Left insist that Mafdal stuburness on keeping the settlements is an "obstacle for peace" while critics from the Right say Mafdal isn't pressuring enough to use more military power against Palestinian terror.
Despite all the critiscism, Mafdal has a repution of honesty and dedication to its parlaimental duties.
The Religious Zionism : Background
History
The Ideology of the Mafdal
Main Principles
Unlike Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties (Shas and United Torah Judaism) the Mafdal isn't keen to enforce Medinat Halacha - a theocarcy running according to the Jewish Rabbinic law. The Mafdal want to keep Israel's democartic character and make the Israelis better people and betters Jews by using as role-models and teaching them Judaism and tradition with love and kindness. Also, Mafdal holds that Ultra Orthodox Jews must also complete 3 years of mandatory military service.
They call it Ahavat Israel.
Mafdal believes that the land of Israel is holy and belongs to the Jews on the basis of God's promise to Abraham and later to Itzhak and Jacob. They believe it is God will to settle all the land of Israel and nurture it. This principle have great impact on Mafdal policy toward the disputed territories and the Palestinian issue. Religion and State
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli settlements
However, Mafdal do agree of giving the Palestians a self-governing autonomy, subjected to Israel only in matters of security and foreign affairs (borders, diplomacy). That, of course, without the dismentling of the settlements. Current Status
Mafdal is a member on the current government led by prime minister Ariel Sharon and has 2 ministers on the cabinet. Efi Eitam is the Housing minister and Zvulon Orlev is the Work & Welfare minister. Rabbi Izhake Levi is a deputy minister in the prime minister secretrate and responsible for the Religions ministry (currently in disbanding procedures). Mafdal is forming the current govervment's coalition along with the Likud, Shinui and the National Union.
The religious Zionists can be recognized by their colorfull hand knitted yarmulkah (skull-cap , כיפה ) and therefore their nickname is הכיפות הסרוגות (''Ha-Kiot Ha-Srugot", lit. "The Knitted Yarmulkhas").External links
