Zionism

Zionism is the most controversial ideology of the past few hundred years.  It has faced opposition not only by radical Islam and secular Arabs, but also the left and right wing in the western politics. Above all, it was opposed by Ultra-Orthodoxy, to the point where Jews who were Zionists were banned and shamed by Ultra Orthodox. Even during the Holocaust, many Jews refused to cooperate with the Zionists, at their own peril.  The secular Zionist idea was modernized by Theodore Herzl, whilst the religious concept was championed by Rabbi Kook.

Today, the State of Israel is again the centre of the Jewish world. Although some still dissociate from it, there is no denying that this is where jewish life is growing and getting stronger.  But that is nto the whole story.   The Karaites were the early zionists.  They made the move to Israel and were at times friends with the Arabs, especially when the Land was invaded by the Crusaders.  When the great Rabbi  Nachmanides fled Spain and moved to Israel, many of the Jews he found there were Karaites. Indeed, it is possible that his commentary on the Torah was influenced by Karaites, since his understanding of the Torah is often closer to the plain meaning, and contradicts the views of Rashi.

Although the Karaites were not able to withstand the onslaught of the Crusades, the basis of Zionism is an essentially Karaite concept.  It couild be said that David ben Gurion was a secular Karaite, in that he accepted the TNK, but not the Midrashim.