Israel’s ultra-Orthodox still won’t fight, invoking scripture
An age-old argument is making Binyamin Netanhayu face an enduring dilemma
The armed forces bent over backwards on August 4th to welcome a new wave of recruits. Induction centres in Jerusalem and Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv were adapted to soothe the religious sensitivities of prospective draftees. No female soldiers were in sight, so as not to offend the young men who had grown up in an environment strictly segregated by sex.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Exemption by heavenly order”
From the August 17th 2024 edition
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Israel’s invasion of Lebanon may bolster support for Hizbullah
The group is deeply embedded in Lebanese politics and society
South Africa’s coalition government has improved the vibes
Now for the hard part
Wrath and sorrow rule in Israel on the anniversary of October 7th
A divided country is at war with multiple enemies, and fighting itself
A dangerous dispute in the Horn of Africa
Ethiopia and Somalia are courting escalation in a quarrel over port access
Tracking Israel’s war in Lebanon, in maps
The latest data on the conflict
Iran bombards Israel as the war escalates further
Israel may take it as justification to attack Iran