What issue divided Zionists and Orthodox Jews early in the Twentieth century?

Answer 1

There was a basic question of whether or not Jews should attempt to return to the Land before the Messiah; however, there was another, more specific, question which was raised, whether it was necessary to let the land lay fallow during the seventh year, as prescribed in The Bible. Many of the early kibbutzniks were not particularly observant religiously and they were inclined to ignore the commandment.

• Answer 2

Orthodox Jews were living in Israel and making aliyah (moving to Israel) long before any non-religious Jews did so. The earliest waves of aliyah were very pious and religious. It was also felt that creating a secular state would influence many Jews to abandon the Torah; and this came true on a vast scale, shortly after the founding of modern Israel. In addition, some felt that creating a Jewish state would violate a Talmudic injunction (Ketubot 111a). In the last decade before the Holocaust, Orthodox Jews were trying to leave Europe just like everyone else, because the German anti-Semitism was becoming unendurable, but by that time the British Mandate had imposed tight limitations on Immigration to Israel, and Europe's borders were (in any case) quickly becoming sealed by the Germans. Other information: 1) Many Jewish immigrants to Israel were encouraged or pressured (especially in the 1950s) to leave their Orthodoxy.

2) The official, gov't sponsored majority school system (mamlakhti) is secular.

3) The government has sponsored such forbidden things as digging up graves, Sabbath-violations, and tens of other examples.

4) Unlike in the U.S.A., when an Israeli politician (except in the minority religious parties) invokes mention of God, it creates a political brouhaha, as if a contemptible thing has been committed.

5) The Israeli religious community is discriminated against in housing, allocations, school funding, etc.

These are just a few examples.

Answer 2

Issues
There were two different axes of dispute between the Zionists and the Orthodox Jews at the start of the 20th century: (1) the primary aspect of Judaism and (2) the legitimacy of Jewish State.

For the Zionists, the primary aspect of Judaism that they saw to be relevant was the ethnic unity of the Jewish people and the best way to realize this ethnic nature to its fullest extent would be to create a Jewish State in the historic Jewish Homeland of Israel. For the Orthodox Jews, the primary aspect of Judaism that they saw to be relevant was the religious ceremonies and beliefs of the Jewish people and the creation of a Jewish State would be in violation of the Divine Punishment of the Diaspora.

Historical Summation
At the beginning of the 20th century up to the late 1930s, this division in priorities and values was quite strong in the Jewish community. Zionists increasingly became non-religious or irreligious and Orthodox Jews increasingly became Anti-Zionist and suspicious of the attempts to create a Jewish State. However, after this point, especially in the wake of the Holocaust, there was a rapprochement between these two halves of Judaism. Zionists became more accommodating and accepting of the religious needs and desires of the Orthodox Jewish community and began re-integrating Jewish ceremonies into their lives. Orthodox Jews began to give tacit acceptance and support to the Zionist project of a Jewish State, even while not accepting the cultural narratives of the Zionists. And of course, there was the hybrid movement that really took off in the 1960s of the Datei Leumi (דתי לאומי) or the Religious Zionists which merged Orthodox Jewish beliefs with the nationalist cultural narrative of the Atheist and Liberal Jewish Zionists.

Answer 3

Orthodox Jews were living in Israel and making aliyah (moving to Israel) long before any non-religious Jews did so. The earliest waves of aliyah were very pious and religious. It was also felt that creating a secular state would influence many Jews to abandon the Torah; and this came true on a vast scale, shortly after the founding of modern Israel. In addition, some felt that creating a Jewish state would violate a Talmudic injunction (Ketubot 111a). In the last decade before the Holocaust, Orthodox Jews were trying to leave Europe just like everyone else, because the German anti-Semitism was becoming unendurable, but by that time the British Mandate had imposed tight limitations on immigration to Israel, and Europe's borders were (in any case) quickly becoming sealed by the Germans.

• Link: Jewish emigration before WW2
  

Other information:

1) Many Jewish immigrants to Israel were encouraged or pressured (especially in the 1950s) to leave their Orthodoxy.2) The official, gov't sponsored majority school system (mamlakhti) is secular.

3) The government has sponsored such forbidden things as digging up graves, Sabbath-violations, and tens of other examples.

4) Unlike in the U.S.A., when an Israeli politician (except in the minority religious parties) invokes mention of God, it creates a political brouhaha, as if a contemptible thing has been committed.

5) The Israeli religious community is discriminated against in housing, allocations, school funding, etc.

These are just a few examples.