“ORTHODOX FEMINISM = RELIGIOUS EGOISM”?! THEOLOGICAL RABBINIC RHETORIC AS ILLIBERAL BACKLASH TO RELIGIOUS ZIONIST FEMINISM IN ISRAEL

דתיים הלכה זהות יהודית-ישראלית חברה ישראלית מגדר נשים פמיניזם אורתודוקסי תיאולוגיה

This empirical study identifies and conceptualizes the theological rhetoric used in contemporary Israeli rabbinic discourse to counter the influence of Religious Zionist feminism. The authors analyze five key discursive moves employed by rabbis to delegitimize feminist advancements, such as framing women's rights as "religious egoism" or an alien "liberal" threat to the sanctity of the family.The research highlights how this "illiberal backlash" aims to curtail women's integration into leadership and halakhic roles within the religious Zionist sector. By examining public statements and theological writings, Zion-Waldoks and Irshai demonstrate how traditional values are strategically mobilized to re-establish patriarchal authority in a rapidly changing social landscape. The article concludes that this backlash is not merely a local religious debate but part of a broader global resistance to gender equality, reflecting the deep-seated tensions between religious tradition and modern liberal norms in Israeli society.