'We need the messiah so that he may not come': On David Ben-Gurion's use of messianic language

In his speeches and writings as Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion often used messianic language. In the late 1950s this policy evoked strong criticism in wide circles of the Israeli political and intellectual elite. The fear was that the combination of sweeping messianic ideas and Ben-Gurion's political might would inflict an irreparable blow to Israeli democracy. This article shows that, contrary to the claims of prominent Israeli intellectuals, Ben-Gurion's 'messianism' did not reflect a pretension to hasten the end of history but a desire to use the Jewish prophetic vision as a compass that would spur Israelis to express their human sovereignty and create a civilized society.