The Land of Israel and the Torah Laws

B"H

The Satmarer Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum z"l once claimed that a Jew shouldn't make Aliyah to Israel when he doesn't intend to keep the Torah laws (Mitzwot) in the Holy Land.

Indeed, there is a controversy about if Jews living in Israel should keep the Torah Mitzwot and not being secular at all. There is a notion that it may be less severe living as a secular Jew in the Diaspora than in Israel.
Those who say that a Jew in Israel should keep the Torah law state that somebody violating Halacha in the Holy Land is just like as if he is spitting into G – d's "face". There is a question mark behind that approach because a secular Jew could, later on, turn into a Torah keeing Jew or do good deeds.

In the "Book of Ezra" (10:10) it says that "Ezra the Cohen rises". He rebuked the Jews because in those days, many of them married Gentiles. And isn't it severe and spitting into G – d's "face" when someone marries a non – Jew ? Especially in the Land of Israel.

Some religious Jews may claim that if a secular Jew feels like marrying a non – Jew, okay, that's his problem. I am so religious and what do I have to do with it ?

In Judaism, however, we have the concept of a "collective punishment" and those violating the law should be aware of the fact that, through their actions, they are causing the entire Jewish people to be punished by G – d.
The Tanach (Torah, Nevi'im – Prophets, Ketuvim – Writings) lists a few incidents of such "collective punishments".

For instance, when Joshua was ordered by G – d not to take any belongings from the people of Jericho after the destruction of the town. However, one Jew named Achan stole something and the entire people was held responsible by G – d. It says in the "Book of Joshua" that the "Jewish people stole" instead of "Achan stole". This shows us that we are also responsible for each other.

I am not saying that now someone feeling so terribly religious and holy should start running around rebuking all the others. It says that rebuking one's fellows has to be learned in order to not hurt anyone else's feelings.

Furthermore, there are commentators discussing the importance of keeping Torah Mitzwot in Jerusalem or elsewhere in the Land of Israel. Some consider it as extremely important to keep the Mitzwot at least in the Holy City of Jerusalem.