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Our vision of the future is for the Land to be settled by the Jewish people, for the Temple to stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and for all national institutions to be run in holy and moral ways, in accordance with the Torah’s guidance. The Jews will then serve as a light to the nations. All this is in the prophecy of Isaiah we cited above (section 17).
To realize this vision, the entire Land must be populated by Jews, and non-Jews who have the status of ger toshav. A ger toshav is someone who accepts Jewish sovereignty over the Land, recognizes the Jews’ special mission, and observes the seven Noahide laws. These laws reflect natural law (2:4 above). The prohibition of allowing non-Noahides to remain in the Land is mentioned many times in the Torah. For example: “They shall not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me: for you will serve their gods – and it will prove a snare to you” (Exodus 23:33); “Make no covenant with them and show no favor to them” (Deuteronomy 7:2); and “If you do not dispossess the inhabitants of the land, those whom you allow to remain shall be stings in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land in which you live” (Numbers 33:55). In the context of war with non-Noahides, the enemy is to be expelled from the Land. In the context of peace, emigration is to be encouraged, with fair payment to be made for property and belongings left behind.
About eighty years ago, at the end of World War II, and with the approval of the world powers, there were mass population transfers of tens of millions of people in Europe and elsewhere to avoid internecine fighting. Nowadays though, the international community no longer accepts this solution, and the State of Israel's economic and security situation does not allow it to ignore this position. Furthermore, thanks to the Torah's moral influence, the nations of the world have recently undertaken to protect minority rights, and we should agree this is a step in the right direction. Accordingly, the expulsion of non-Noahides is no longer practical.
Nevertheless, the Torah’s vision of the future remains in place. Therefore, within the accepted moral framework of the times, Israel should attempt to develop a socio-economic policy that encourages emigration on the part of non-Jews who do not identify with Jewish values. One possibility would be requiring everyone to enlist in the army, and penalizing those who refuse to serve on nationalistic grounds. It is also possible that the next time Jewish-Arab tension leads to crisis or war, Israel will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to expel hostile non-Jews from our Land, as was necessary during the War of Independence.
In the meantime, it is not practical to expel non-Noahides. Besides, we do not know who among the non-Jewish residents are enemies, and who are loyal to the State (and could have the status of a ger toshav). Accordingly, our default is to follow the basic value of respecting all people. Perhaps this situation is divinely orchestrated so many of the non-Jews who live in the Land will eventually recognize the good in the Jewish return to Zion and the fulfillment of the prophecies. Instead of hating us, they will become trusted partners in the vision of the redemption of the Jews and the repair of the world.
