What are some conflicts Judaism has had?

Answer 1

All proselytizing religions have a tendency to cause conflicts. It is the natural consequence of believing that only your religion is true. However, Judaism hasn't actively sought converts in over 2000 years and even then, has never been a single truth religion. In other words, Judaism has always taught that there are different paths for different people. What most people aren't familiar with is the Jewish concept of Noahide - the path to righteousness for non-Jews.

It should be noted that although the Tanakh (Jewish Bible) specified that the Israelites were supposed to kill all of their enemies, both the Tanakh and Jewish historical documentation specify that this never happened. Modern historians and archeologists support this.

Answer 2

Torah-Judaism has had to contend with a long list of breakaway ideologies, including: idolatry, Hellenists, Sadducees, Boethusians (Baitusim), Epicurians (Apikorsim), Amei Haaretez, Essenes, early Christians, Karaites, apostates, Shabbetai Zevi, Enightenment, Reform, Yevsektsia, Bundists, Yiddishists, Conservatives, Zionists, Reconstructionists and atheists. Plus external foes such as Bible-critics, evolutionists etc.

Answer 3

All proselytising religions have a tendency to cause conflicts. It is the natural consequence of believing that only your religion is true. Also, as we know, the Jews have been the victims, as well as perpetuators of conflict. So, it is unfair to think in terms of conflicts caused by Judaism, when other organised religions have also been the cause of conflict and suffering. Having said that, it should be noted that modern archaeologists and scholars tell us that the conflicts and even genocide described in the Hebrew Bible for the early years of Israelite occupation of the Canaanite highlands did not really occur.

Answer 4

There is really no equivalent in Judaism to the Jihads of Islam or the Crusades of Christianity where Jewish leaders provided arguments that the people of the Jewish faith are to perform some military action for scriptural or general religious reasons. This is not to say that Jews are pacifists and, if anything, the tenacity with which the Israelis (who are majority Jews) and Jews in other countries' armies have defended their countries demonstrates that Jews are willing to engage militarily. However, their reasons for engagement are non-religious. They can come from patriotism, nationalism, communal defense, loyalty, or some other political motivation.

The closest thing to a conflict in the name of Judaism are a minority of Rabbis in Israel who argue that the Palestinians are the successors to the Canaanites and should be routed from the territory in much the same way that the Canaanites were. There is a limited appeal for these Rabbis, which is most prominent among certain settler blocs in the Occupied West Bank. However, the general Israeli public and the government reject any religious motivation for the conflict and argue that the Palestinians have a right to live in Israel and in a Palestinian State. (There are political arguments as to the nature and borders of that Palestinian State, but these arguments do not rise to the level of internecine Jewish violence on this question.)