The writer, translator, editor, and essayist Shulamith Hareven proposed a distinction between "Messiah" and "Knesset," as metaphors for two opposing worldviews. The first sees the sanctity of "the wholeness of the land" as paramount, regarding the present era as the time of the Messiah and elevating this belief above all other values. The second prioritizes the establishment and preservation of a democratic and secure Jewish state, grounded in the rule of law.
The writer and educator Yizhar Smilansky (known as S. Yizhar) warned of a strain of Zionism rooted in perpetual conflict, stating: "There are Zionists whose worldview is founded on the infinite presence of the enemy: there will always be an enemy, and we will always fight him. These are Zionists of eternal fear, of eternal mobilization, of perpetual emergency, and of unending despair over any hope for good neighborliness and peace. The cemeteries await the hour of their reign." To them, "the myth of the eternal enemy" is not just an idea but the very foundation of reality. Any attempt to challenge this principle is perceived as betrayal, a weakening of national morale, and de facto chauvinism. Their worldview is built on a rigid binary – either them or us. In their eyes, the land cannot sustain both peoples together, and only force can decide between them.
Avraham Stern (Yair) – the founder and first commander of the Zionist paramilitary militant organization Lehi (Fighters for the Freedom of Israel), who derived his alias from Eleazar ben Yair, a leader of the Great Revolt against the Romans and the commander of the zealots at Masada (first century) – envisioned a future steeped in war and conquest: "Many more will fight with us in our land until we impose our rule over the Gentiles and conquer new territories. For generations to come, the children of Israel will be sent to Beit Rabban [a term used in classical Jewish texts for a school where children encountered the wisdom of the Sages] to master the craft of the sword. For many generations, the Hebrew kingdom will remain a military encampment in the desert of the Arabian East."
It seems that today we are witnessing the dawn of a new era, one in which "Messiah" and "Knesset" are no longer separate but have merged, to a significant extent, into one. This fusion is a sure recipe for eternal fear, the reign of the sword, unending mobilization, and the loss of hope – a future trapped in perpetual despair.