Unlike the days when the religious Zionist leadership tried to combine concern for the settlements with socially oriented rhetoric, in recent years it has shrugged that off completely and become the standard-bearer for neoliberalism in Israel.

… These statements reflect a perception that is gaining ground among the religious Zionist elite in Israel. The power of this approach lies in its moral justification for being the most privileged group in Israel. This elite comes from the wealthiest communities; its education system receives the largest public funding, while it excludes members of weaker communities from its institutions; and its leadership ignores the struggle for socioeconomic justice that has been changing the face of the country since the protests of 2011. …

How does this group manage to bridge the dissonance between the situation and its perception of itself as a serving elite? By adopting the notion that it was not the welfare state constructed in the occupied territories that gave it its strength, but rather strong and proactive communities that took care of themselves.