He looks like an innocent grandad – he is anything but that. (Photo credit: AP)

We continue to ignore Religious Zionism at our peril.

Rabbi Eliyahu Mali, is head of the Shirat Moshe yeshiva. Not a rabbi on the fringes, he’s part of the mainstream. He runs the religious school which teaches Judaism to Israeli kids.

He also justifies killing all Gazans, including babies and the elderly.

This is Judaism to him and many others, in and out of Israel.

He is not driven by some abstract notions of politics!

They are also Zionists, their Zionism is primarily driven and shaped by Judaism; Religious Zionism.

It is an interpretation of Judaism. Like how there are differing interpretations of Islam between different Muslim sects. Judaism is steeped neck deep in all this.

Has been ever since Zionism has existed. Alas, there are those who still have the blinkers on and continue to say “Zionism has nóthing to do with Judaism”.

They persist with that line because it’s safe, within their comfort zones, therefore convenient. That’s tantamount to ‘controlled opposition’.

If one doesn’t understand the problem / refuses to acknowledge the problem, then one cannot ever solve that problem.

We need a de-Zionification programme for peace to have a chance over there – and a big part of that programme is de-radicalising radicalised teachings of parts of Judaism.