As Israeli society fractured in the months before the 2001 elections, religious and political fault lines deepened amid the violence of the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Drawing from rabbinical writings, particularly articles by Rabbi Ehud Bandel and Rabbi David Golinkin, alongside responses from religious human rights organizations, this firsthand account reveals profound ideological divisions within Israel's Masorti movement over Palestinian relations and territorial concessions. The analysis uncovers emerging disagreements in halakhic interpretations regarding territorial compromise and military conduct, while documenting a troubling erosion of moral standards among Israeli forces—including instances of harassment and discrimination against Palestinian civilians that violate the Jewish ethical principle of *tohar haneshek* (purity of arms). Through qualitative observation of contemporary religious debates, the research demonstrates how progressive Jewish movements struggle to reconcile traditional ethical values with political realities. These findings highlight why the separation of religion from politics remains both impossible and undesirable in the Israeli context, while emphasizing religious movements' moral obligation to uphold Jewish ethical principles in political discourse. The work illuminates how religious communities navigate moral complexities during periods of intense political conflict while striving to preserve their foundational ethical commitments.