A split has developed within the Gush Emunim, the militant settlement movement in the West Bank, between its pragmatic and more ideological wings.
Yitzhak Armoni, who resigned as secretary-general over the weekend, blamed “elements in the Gush” for thwarting his efforts to democratize the movement.
One of his opponents has been Rabbi Moshe Levinger, the charismatic Gush leader from Hebron known for his hard-line ways. Armoni, who came from Ramat Magshimim, a kibbutz in the Golan Heights, took office last May with Levinger’s support. But they have since drifted apart.
The veteran leadership is said to fear democratic processes, because they could lead to the loss of their positions within the Gush.
But there is a more basic split, observers say. Levinger and his circle want to preserve the Gush Emunim as the main force behind the settlement movement.
But the younger generation has integrated into the political parties and regional and municipal institutions, which tends to render the Gush functionally redundant.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
