The Hidden Philosophy Driving Israel’s Deepest Divide

Settlements in the West Bank didn’t appear out of nowhere. For many religious Jews, Judea and Samaria aren’t just territory, they’re the biblical heartland and a divine responsibility. This story traces how Rav Abraham Isaac Kook fused faith with modern Zionism, how 1967 turned theology into political momentum, and how Gush Emunim reshaped Israeli life. It ends with today’s fight over Kook’s legacy, morality, and Israel’s future. To learn more about Rav Kook's life, identity, and legacy, see Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution by Yehudah Mirsky, from Yale University's Jewish Lives series at https://unpacked.bio/73317e and use promo code KOOKYT to get 30% off" 0:00 Intro 1:03 Before Rav Kook 2:47 Why Zionism and Religion Collided 4:17 Who Was Rav Abraham Isaac Kook 6:02 Kook Arrives in Ottoman Palestine 8:01 Rav Kook Becomes Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi 9:32 The Six Day War Changes Everything 11:44 Gush Emunim and the Settlement Movement 14:06 Religious Zionism in Israel Today 15:41 When Dati Leumi Splits Over Politics Sources Mirsky, Yehudah. Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution (Jewish Lives). Yale University Press, 2014. Sokol, Sam. "Smotrich: We are in ‘process of redempt