The Movement to Stop the Withdrawal in Sinai: A Sociological Perspective

This article analyzes the Movement to Stop the Withdrawal (MSW) and its efforts to provoke controversy in Israeli society over the evacuation of Israeli settlements from Sinai a condition of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The authors present the MSW as a messianic movement and discuss its context and ultimate aims, especially regarding the geopolitical conflict between traditional Judaism and modern Zionism. The article addresses the MSW's background, links with Gush Emunim -a movement seeking to restore the “greater Land of Israel” promised in the Bible-and environment. The authors note that the case of the MSW high-lights divisions in Israeli society between “hawks and doves” and especially between the secular and religious segments of the population.