How a party that rejected the Jewish state became a kingmaker in its government.

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Agudat Yisrael began as a staunchly anti-Zionist movement, believing a Jewish state could only arrive through divine intervention. Today, it is a pivotal force in Israeli politics. By navigating the complexities of proportional representation, this Haredi party wields outsized influence, securing critical funding and exemptions while remaining ideologically detached from secular Zionism.

Founded in 1912 in Kattowitz, German Empire, Agudat Yisrael was established as an umbrella organization for observant Jews who opposed the rise of political Zionism. In the British Mandate of Palestine, the movement positioned itself against the organized Zionist community. Its opposition was so intense that Jacob Israël de Haan, a Dutch poet and prominent spokesman against the formation of a Jewish state, was assassinated by the Haganah in 1924.

The Holocaust fundamentally shifted the movement's trajectory. While its leaders did not actively participate in the creation of Israel, they recognized the utility of a Jewish state, transitioning from anti-Zionist to non-Zionist. By the time of the 1948 Declaration of Independence, the party yielded to pressure and began participating in Israeli governments. Despite this, the party maintains a unique stance: it avoids cabinet positions, viewing the secular government as ideologically separate from its religious mission.

Today, Agudat Yisrael is primarily a Hasidic party, governed by a Council of Torah Sages and the Rebbes of Ger, Belz, Vizhnitz, and Boston. While it split from the Litvish community in the 1980s—leading to the creation of the Degel HaTorah party—the two groups often unite as United Torah Judaism to maximize their Knesset seats. Because Israel’s proportional representation system allows small parties to hold the balance of power, Agudat Yisrael has successfully leveraged its position to secure funding for yeshivas, military service exemptions for students, and the enforcement of religious laws regarding Shabbat and kashrut.

The party's flexibility is a hallmark of its political strategy. Because it rejects secular Zionism, it has historically partnered with both Likud- and Labor-led coalitions. While its foreign policy views were once fluid, the party has recently become more sympathetic to the settler movement, reflecting a shift toward greater security consciousness regarding Israel's survival, as seen in its support for the 2005 unilateral disengagement plan.

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