About Meimad
The Meimad Movement was founded in 1988 (5748) by Rabbi Yehuda Amital and a group of like minded people. The aim was to transform the face of religious Zionism and to serve as an alternative to the approach that has made the Torah of Israel synonymous with religious and political extremism.
The Meimad Party, a Hebrew acronym for “Jewish State, Democratic State”, was founded in 1999 (5759) to bring Meimad’s ideology into the political arena and to represent the many people, both religious and non-religious, who believe that the State of Israel should be both Jewish and democratic. Meimad places those issues, which are vital to our future, at the top of the public agenda.
Safeguarding the Jewish character of Israeli society is important to all of us, religious and non-religious alike. We will resist the effort to undermine the definition of the State of Israel as the State of the Jewish people, as well as the false claim that there is a contradiction between Israel being a Jewish country and it being a democratic country. We are concerned about the alienation felt by parts of Israeli society with regard to the Jewish tradition and culture. Meimad strives to reinforce Israel’s Jewish character by creating a society based on Jewish ethical values, formulating public policy with regard to Jewish culture and strengthening Jewish studies within the education system. This study emphasis must be relevant to all parts of the public and devoid of preaching or pretension. The Jewish character of the State must be created on the basis of wide consensus.
For the State of Israel to exist, we must safeguard the country’s identity as both a Jewish and a democratic state. We reject the occasional undermining of the legitimacy of the Israeli legal system, and we believe that differences of opinion must be decided by the agreed-upon, democratic “rules of the game”. We reject Halachic rulings on political issues and believe that political differences should not be resolved using arguments in the name of Halacha. We believe that the teaching of democratic values should be strengthened in the education system in general and the religious education system in particular. As a Jewish and democratic state, we emphasize the legal and institutional commitment to provide full and equal rights to the minorities living among us.
Meimad believes that there should be a new basis for the relationship between religion and state in Israel. To achieve this, Meimad representatives have reached agreements on issues of religion and state with various groups within the population, taking into account the needs and values of each group. These agreements have been documented in the Covenant that is based on strengthening Jewish identity through education instead of coercive legislation. We support and promote this Covenant, which would change the status quo on issues of marriage, Sabbath, burial etc. Meimad will support a compulsory service law that will be part of a program to integrate the ultra-orthodox into the life of the state without prejudicing this group’s unique needs. Meimad demands an end to the politicization of religious services in Israel. These services should be organized to operate efficiently and equally for the benefit of all who need them.
The welfare of the Jewish people and its state takes precedence over maintaining control of the whole Land of Israel. The pursuit of peace is a Jewish value. It is the obligation of every Israeli government to do its utmost to reduce bloodshed and prevent war. An extremist position, that places the Land of Israel above all other values, does not represent the Torah of Israel. Therefore, we support the continuation of the political peace process, even with the painful concessions this may entail. In a final agreement on Judea and Samaria, concentrated areas of Jewish settlement are to be transferred to Israeli sovereignty. No foreign army is to cross the Jordan River, and Jerusalem is to be under Israeli sovereignty.