Jewish Messianism on Ecstasy
An op-ed about the indictment against Prof. Shachar Nevo, suspected of planning attacks against Arabs. The author compares him to past Jewish terrorist figures and analyzes the dangerous pattern of extreme Jewish messianism, while criticizing Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit politicians.
An op-ed by Merav Batito on ynet, dealing with the indictment against Prof. Shachar Nevo of Bar-Ilan University, suspected of planning attacks against Arabs. The author compares him to past Jewish terrorist figures: Baruch Goldstein, Yigal Amir, and Yona Avrushmi, and describes the act as "Jewish messianism that went on ecstasy." She argues that this is a dangerous pattern that is not coincidental, stemming from a closed faith-based world that hastens the coming of the Messiah by any means, while ignoring Judaism's prohibitions on murder and hastening redemption. The author criticizes state-funded educational institutions that raise "weeds," a settler elite, and politicians from Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism, who she says fuel acts of violence. She cites IDF and Shin Bet data on a 27% increase in settler violence against Arabs in 2025, with only a 3% conviction rate. The author calls on Religious Zionism leaders to acknowledge the phenomenon and disavow rabbis who preach transfer and ascending the Temple Mount.