We cannot ignore the official announcement of Shas that it has decided to change its basic party platform by embracing the Zionist covenant and incorporating the essential principles as determined by the Zionist movement. At the same time how painful it is to see the Zionist leaders exult and announce this move as a "historical breakthrough" with the creation of a "chareidi-Zionist" party joining the Zionist movement.
Maran HaRav Reuven Grozovsky zt"l, in an essay ("On the Matter of Members of Agudah participating in the Government in Eretz Yisroel") published in the collection of his essays entitled Ba'ayot Hazman, explained the critical difference between sitting in the Knesset and joining other Zionist organizations.
When the State was founded, and its parliament — known as the Knesset — was set up to determine all of the aspects of public life, Maranan ztvk"l permitted participation in that Knesset, but only in the Knesset. This body is not ideological but political and legislative. Being subject to it is not a matter of choice. It is an institutional body whose decisions bind us whether we agree or not, and we must join it in order to "stand watch that the rosho will not swallow up the tzaddik. Doing so is not joining them, nor consenting to them, nor aiding them, nor subjugating ourselves to them — but simply standing up for our own rights."
Therefore, HaRav Grozovsky explained, even after it was permitted to join the Knesset, that did not extend to any other Zionist organization. As he explained, "there is a big difference between cooperation where the cooperation is voluntary," and taking part in an institution that exists and that in practice has influence on "matters that pertain to our lives and our souls, that we cannot leave to their decisions, and we have no possibility of breaking off and leaving the partnership." This cannot be compared "to what Rabboseinu zt"l prohibited in joining them and sending representatives to Zionist congresses, as I explained, since that is totally voluntary and here no one can say that we have any ability to break off, and being completely separate in all matters is completely impossible."
As far as the general issue of joining the Zionists, HaRav Grozovsky explained, "Joining the Zionists is not just joining reshoim, but also becoming part of a movement and ideology whose founders and leaders drew from the spirit of minnus and worked to change the Jewish people so that they would no longer be called Am Hashem and Am HaTorah. Chazal and our rabbonim throughout the generations said that a Yisroel who leaves Torah and mitzvos also thereby leaves Klal Yisroel and that the name "Yisroel" only applies to one who has the kedushoh of Hashem, His Torah and His mitzvos. They have attacked the Torah by declaring that the essence of Yisroel is dependent on some sort of national or racial feeling, as with all other peoples and countries.
"All this does not apply to the Knesset elections. The Knesset has nothing to do with an ideology and even joining the government is not subscribing to ideological principles and ideals."
HaRav Grozovsky said that in the practical application of this sheila, as with all other sheilos, "one must follow the opinion of the majority of those who are qualified to rule on this in our generation, as evidenced by their greatness in Torah, in yir'oh and wisdom, and Elokim nitzav ba'adas Keil.
