Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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 redemption’ and ‘the conquest of the land’". Times of Israel, 24 August 2025.
Halperin, Liora. "Origins and Evolutions of Zionism". Foreign Policy Research Institute, 9 January 2015.
Hermann, Tamar. "The Religions Zionist Sector at Bay". Religions, 17 February 2022. Published in MDPI.
Hartman, Donniel and Klein Halevi, Yossi. "Israel at War – The Paradox of Religious Zionism". Shalom Hartman Institute, 19 June 2024. (Podcast transcript)
Porat, Benjamin. "The Missing Side of the Triangle: The Danger Religious Zionism Faces". Israel Democracy Institute, 28 May 2024.
Fischer, Shlomo. "Religious Zionism in Israel Today: Toward the Center". JPPI 2016 Annual Assessment report, The Jewish People Policy Institute.
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youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1
Recommended video — What If Everything You Think About West Bank Settlers Is Wrong? - youtu.be/6xCh53y8jbY?si=T8qqz4RG_EtTOCtH
We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch
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Website — https://www.Unpacked.media
Instagram — /unpackedmedia
Twitter — /unpackedmedia
TikTok — /unpackedmedia
Facebook — /unpackedmedia
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Image and footage credits:
Part of the Israel Archive Network project (IAN), made accessible thanks to the collaborative efforts of the The Oded Yarkoni Historical Archives of Petach Tikva, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage and the National Library of Israel
Parrt of the Israel Archive Network project (IAN), made accessible thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Yad Ben Zvi Archive, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage and the National Library of Israel.
Nadav Mann, Bitmuna, From the Beit Alfa Collection, The Pritzker family photo collection, The national library of Israel
Israeli Government Press Office
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu
Israeli Government Press Office: Zoltan Kluger, Koby Gideon, Chanania Herman, Moshe Milner
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries
Harvard Library, © 2026, President and Fellows of Harvard College, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
-----------
Executive Producers:
Michael Steinhardt
Co-Executive Producers:
Marc Shmuel Levine
Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum
Gold Level:
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
-----------
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
#history #politics #israel
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 redemption’ and ‘the conquest of the land’". Times of Israel, 24 August 2025.
Halperin, Liora. "Origins and Evolutions of Zionism". Foreign Policy Research Institute, 9 January 2015.
Hermann, Tamar. "The Religions Zionist Sector at Bay". Religions, 17 February 2022. Published in MDPI.
Hartman, Donniel and Klein Halevi, Yossi. "Israel at War – The Paradox of Religious Zionism". Shalom Hartman Institute, 19 June 2024. (Podcast transcript)
Porat, Benjamin. "The Missing Side of the Triangle: The Danger Religious Zionism Faces". Israel Democracy Institute, 28 May 2024.
Fischer, Shlomo. "Religious Zionism in Israel Today: Toward the Center". JPPI 2016 Annual Assessment report, The Jewish People Policy Institute.
Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads!
youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1
Recommended video — What If Everything You Think About West Bank Settlers Is Wrong? - youtu.be/6xCh53y8jbY?si=T8qqz4RG_EtTOCtH
We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch
Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.Unpacked.media
Instagram — /unpackedmedia
Twitter — /unpackedmedia
TikTok — /unpackedmedia
Facebook — /unpackedmedia
-----------
Image and footage credits:
Part of the Israel Archive Network project (IAN), made accessible thanks to the collaborative efforts of the The Oded Yarkoni Historical Archives of Petach Tikva, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage and the National Library of Israel
Parrt of the Israel Archive Network project (IAN), made accessible thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Yad Ben Zvi Archive, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage and the National Library of Israel.
Nadav Mann, Bitmuna, From the Beit Alfa Collection, The Pritzker family photo collection, The national library of Israel
Israeli Government Press Office
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu
Israeli Government Press Office: Zoltan Kluger, Koby Gideon, Chanania Herman, Moshe Milner
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries
Harvard Library, © 2026, President and Fellows of Harvard College, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
-----------
Executive Producers:
Michael Steinhardt
Co-Executive Producers:
Marc Shmuel Levine
Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum
Gold Level:
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
-----------
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
#history #politics #israel
