What is Zionism? The ideological question, rooted in the 19th century, has gained surprising urgency in an Israeli election campaign that seems more open than had been expected.

Seeking to take votes from the nationalistic right of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the relatively liberal opposition has rebranded itself as the Zionist Union — sparking a debate about a concept that some considered resolved when the Jewish state was declared and widely recognized in 1948.

Since adopting the name in early December, Isaac Herzog’s Labor Party — bolstered by a smaller grouping led by former opposition leader Tsipi Livni — has surged in the polls. They are now running neck-and-neck in the polls with Netanyahu’s Likud.

The debate over who best reflects the ideals of Zionism — and who can most credibly lay claim to its successes — has lent an oddly philosophical hue to a campaign that had been dominated by more prosaic issues such as budget scandals in the management of the prime minister’s residence. Along the way, the stage appears to have been set for a surprisingly climactic vote.

On the left, politicians speak of true Zionism as requiring the establishment of peace and equality in the land, including by making peace with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu has mocked his rivals as “the anti-Zionist Union.” Backers of his Likud tend to equate the term with a strong Israel standing up to its enemies, and with the West Bank settler movement specifically. The settlers view themselves as true Zionists, called upon to reclaim the Holy Land in its entirety almost regardless of the consequences.

Read the article in full at Times of Israel.