On pragmatic Messianism – Ayelett Shani interviewing Rabbi Avidan Freedman in Haaretz:

‘Some will say that it's naïve on your part to think that you can influence that industry, which is based largely on turning a blind eye to what is taking place, on personal ties and on a vast, extensive map of interests.
I believe that the Zionist dream is not viable as long as it is based on wrongs – and that [arms sales to problematic regimes] of course is not the only wrong. I came to Israel to be part of that dream, so I have no other option.
Maybe we should clarify the fact that you are not against arms exports as such – maybe even the opposite.
My NGO is not pacifist. I support an arms industry, and I think there is a legitimate use for arms, and alongside it a use that's not legitimate – and that distinction is critical. Saying cynically that everything is immoral anyway so what difference does it make won't get us anywhere. We also sell arms to properly run countries like Switzerland and France, for instance. They are not untainted, but when you sell to orderly, functioning countries, law-abiding countries, with supervision and various mechanisms of oversight, that's one thing. When you sell to a country where the law is to murder and perpetrate genocide, that's something else.
And we must understand that even though this subject sounds esoteric, there's a broad consensus around it, including voices on the far right [in Israel] that aren't known for their struggle on behalf of human rights, but nevertheless are against arms exports to murderous regimes. We have had demonstrations with supporters of [libertarian and former Likud MK Moshe] Feiglin together with people from Meretz.’

(…)

‘The elected representatives of the religious Zionist movement prioritize the messianic vision clearly and definitively. Settlement in the Gaza Strip. National Missions Minister Orit Strock talked about this long before October 7. From their viewpoint, it's a cardinal value.
I agree that [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich and Strock [both from the Religious Zionism party] and other figures in the leadership of the religious Zionism movement harbor an apocalyptic messianic approach.
Are you a messianic? I am. But I call myself a pragmatic messianic.
Meaning what? I am a messianic, but I grew up with the approach that says we are in a period of redemption that is evolving naturally, step by step, and therefore we need to exercise pragmatic considerations. Smotrich's messianism isn't pragmatic. It's a messianism that says: We will fight against Iran alone and we don't need the help of the United States in the least, because God will help us.’

(…)

‘In what world can we win a multi-arena war with only God on our side? Are we in the Book of Numbers? I'm not clear about what "pragmatic messianism" is. Irrespective of my personal views, it doesn't seem to me to be connected to reality.
I think it's very much connected to reality. I would even go so far as to say that in a certain place you'd even agree with it, because as I see it, messianism is actually progress – and I am deliberately using a word that is unacceptable to the right. Belief in the Messiah is an insane belief that holds that the world is progressing to a better place, even if the facts on the ground say the opposite. Believing in the good is messianism. Working in this world for a better world, that is messianism.’

(…)

‘ I pray that we will learn the right lesson from the October 7 disaster. This must be a powerful wake-up call for all of Israeli society: to understand how to base our existence on values and morality and not on force.’

Read the interview here.

Pragmatic Messianism is just believing in the good, in that case almost everybody can be considered a pragmatic Messianist.

Believing in the good even when the facts on the ground contradict that belief.
Perhaps, that's the essence of belief, that the facts on the ground don't matter.

But still, please, read Candide rabbi.

I would also say that Judaism is about postponing Messianism, running against it, keeping the Messiah away.