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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America boosts Israel’s missile shield. What did it get in return?
The THAAD battery could indicate Israeli restraint on Iran
Just inside Lebanon, Israeli soldiers debate how far to go
They are 2km inside the country, but prepared to go farther
Israel has these four options for attacking Iran
Its politicians, and some generals, are gung-ho that the moment has come
Iran’s leader must choose how to fight his war with Israel
Hardliners may force the supreme leader to escalate the conflict with Israel
How to send a cake from New Jersey to Accra
A Ghanaian app hints at the potential and problems of Africa’s diaspora
The threat of an Israeli attack is reviving Iranian nationalism
Iranians fear their country is being dragged into war