Page 18 - Issue 24

still precarious Jewish State. And the future of
Israel is inextricably bound up with the chalutziut
of Jewish youth movements both in and outside of
Israel. It is the border, the Negev and the land
which still present the highest challenge for us all,
and to this challenge the youth must attach itself
to consummate the unity of its biological and
social revolt.

But before I leave this analysis of independence, I
cannot omit one further demand which the
concept makes upon us. Just as we want to be
independent of any political party, so we must be
independent of the community. To the extent to
which we adapt our policy to the tastes of
venerable Jews, we degenerate to hypocrisy, and
are false to our own values, we must lead in the
challenge of chalutziut and not cringe before the
passivity of the Jewish parent. About this I shall
say more when I come to speak of the officially
stated aims of the movement, which I believe to
be unnecessarily vague and cringing.

The second ideological principle of Habonim has
more internal implications. It is what may be
called the “intellectual freedom” of the individual.
It expresses itself in respect for all political
opinions in our movement and derives its
sustenance from the realization of the individual’s
conviction as the supreme goal.

The political theory that the degree of democratic
expression depends upon the minimal possible
dictation of government over the individual,