Israel is the largest organized idolatry in the history of Jewish faith
JVL Introduction
Avram Burg pulls no punches.
Former chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel, first speaker of the Knesset to have been born in Israel and once interim President, inveighs against the idolatry that he now sees Israel in thrall to.
“The moral distinction of the Bible lies not in the fact that it ignores the enemies of Israel, but in the fact that it refuses to grant Israel automatic innocence. It records without mercy corrupt kings, priests who betrayed their office, false prophets and a public that preferred hollow ritual to full justice. It describes the sins of our own people so as to prevent them from believing that belonging grants automatic purity.
“The new Israeli religion erases all of this.”
Rather, it worships the sins, takes inspiration from them.
In which the Jewish symbol, national sentiments and moral authority are measured by loyalty to the tribe rather than obedience to commandment. The Israel of the new Jews, affirms Burg, “is the largest organized idolatry in the history of Jewish faith”.
This article was originally published by Avram Burg's Substack on Thu 30 Jul 2026. Read the original here.
Israel is the largest organized idolatry in the history of Jewish faith
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I thought it was obvious. Service to a political project – or however you wish to describe it – has become a substitute for service to God. And we all know, Jewish or otherwise, at any given point in time, exactly what is expected – to serve the ravenous idol that has arrogated itself to being the criterion by which we are supposed to determine truth or falsehood. How many of our pitiful alumni have basked in delusions of piety – of being virtuous and loyal and Good – when patted on the head by the high priests. Who magically dispense wordly favours and protection. Does that not prove their powers? We have forgotten that the vilest of men did not just hail from Germany – but from Egypt. Idolatry is not a small thing. Maybe that’s why it gets mentioned first.
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Gosh – This is a real challenge – Thankyou
A powerful essay. A potent prayer. Indeed, smash the altars of idolatry.
With you, sadly though never without hope.
What an overwhelming assessment of the current Israeli status quo.
It will require much slow reading which I’m very willing to do.
Colin Lomas
The noted Israeli religious philosopher Yeshayahu Liebovitz, said that Israel has been raised to the level of a god, which already breaks the first commandment “You shall have no other God but me”. Israel continues to break all the commandments, working and killing through Shabbat and Yom Kippur, destroying olive trees and agriculture which is prohibited even in the time of war, it kills, it steals, it sets dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners, it bears false witness against its neighbour, and covets its neighbour’s house, his fields and everything that is its neighbours. It does not allow the healing of the sick, feeding the hungry, it imprisons rather than set captives free, and does not pursue mercy and compassion as required in all our prayers. It make a mockery of Judaism and makes one question the religion and whether it is a Jewish State at all, lacking and destroying any legitimacy it ever had. Zionism is its god, and it must be dismantled as it has destroyed the lesson of Holocaust of ‘Never Again’ while its commits genocide on all surrounding states and within the state it has occupied. It has broken every law in the book and the Charter of Human Rights and committed every war crime and invented new ones which it does with pride and relish. What should Diaspora Jewry do about this Hillul Hashem?
And they, the vast majority of Israeli Jews that is, don’t have to think about any criticism or condemnation of Israel, because they can just dismiss it all as antisemitism. As their political masters do all the time.
The question this raises is is Israel worth saving? The last sentence is powerful ‘Their Israel is the largest organized idolatry in the history of Jewish faith. Therefore the commandment placed on me as a Jew is to smash their altars.’
It is a real disgrace how western countries have ‘Europeanised’ Judaism.
Judaism was both a polytheistic and monotheistic religion. There were many breakaway groups/sects.
The idea ‘israelites’ just existed out of nothing is an odd concept. They would have been from the many tribes that chose to follow this monotheistic way.
It is one of the worst misappropriation of Judaism that Israel displays. The ideology they are connected to these ancient groups is unproven and yet western countries choose to believe their rhetoric. There are many black jews that claim to be the true lineage BUT they like many groups in the region are disregarded and in some cases Israel has even deported some of the black israelites.
The use of text by Netanyahu and Co is odd. What allegedly happened in the past battles with the tribe Israel were in relation to the people from the past it has no bearing on the present, if so it is down to Israel to prove it.
There is no confirmation from monotheistic God or prophets that modern day Israel is the chosen people.
And there lies the rub to this debacle. How religion can be used to further colonial and imperial ideology and capitalise on war and suffering.
The scrolls do tell of corrupt jewish leaders which this modern European Israel disregards. And the wrath of this god against the Israelites.
A middle eastern ethnic jewish /israelite presence existed long before islam in that region. Which would indicate the ancestors of Palestinians were certainly jewish and I guess that is what Israel is trying to erase and put itself as the ‘true’ people.
Do I care about chosen people syndrome? Not really. I care about humans being kind to each other, helping each other. Community. I believe in that deeply and completely. I believe in one race. The human race with its many rainbows.
The article rings with the clear bright wisdom known through human history – Thank goodness
There was a horrifying interview with a settler on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday, August 1, which bears out the thesis of this article. Find it shortly after the 7 am headlines here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002zrl5