Messianism in service of the state: Ben-Gurion’s educational ethos

This article examines David Ben-Gurion's deliberate attempt to redefine Jewish messianism as the core educational ethos of the young State of Israel. Unlike other national movements that used mythic or messianic pasts to bolster political legitimacy, Ben-Gurion's systematic turn to messianism in the mid-1950s emerged not from theological speculation but from a civil effort to reshape the national narrative amid profound demographic and ideological changes. As the pioneering ethos lost its mobilizing power, Ben-Gurion sought a broader conceptual framework capable of integrating the diverse Jewish communities now shaping Israeli society, especially the growing mizrahi population. He therefore advanced a version of ‘realistic messianism’ that combined human action, historical consciousness, and a structured relationship between particular Jewish commitments and a universal horizon.‏ Through analysis of Ben-Gurion’s speeches, articles, party platforms, and exchanges with contemporary intellectuals, the article shows that he used messianism as an educational tool aimed at fostering civil cohesion and a renewed sense of collective purpose. However, the study also demonstrates that this messianic vocabulary was only partially understood by his colleagues, the intellectual elite, and the wider public, revealing the limits of leadership and the constraints inherent in mobilizing a mythic past.