Writing from the Heart
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Israel's Masorti (Conservative) movement stands at a crossroads, wielding untapped political potential yet consistently failing to assert itself in the nation's democratic arena. As a native-born Israeli (sabra) deeply embedded within the movement, I analyze how Masorti leadership has historically adopted the hesitant political behaviors typical of new immigrants (olim) rather than embracing assertive democratic participation. Through demographic analysis and political theory, I demonstrate how the movement could secure 5-7 Knesset seats by effectively mobilizing constituents from TALI schools, Masorti congregations, and associated organizations. Personal narrative methodology, combined with theoretical analysis of local and national political scenarios, reveals both the movement's structural capacity and its psychological barriers to political engagement. The findings suggest that establishing a Masorti political party, potentially allied with other pluralistic organizations, could simultaneously address societal fragmentation and advance religious pluralism. This examination offers broader insights into how minority religious movements can more effectively integrate into established democratic systems while challenging traditional paradigms of religious-political engagement in Israeli society.

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Published 2011
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Tzvi Graetz