Israel is gripped by messianic fervour for a biblical war

Israel is gripped by messianic fervour for a biblical war Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 17:03 It claims the fanatics are Hamas and Iran - but increasingly, Israel itself is embarking on a religious crusade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly invoked the biblical story of Amalek to justify regional violence (Jim Watson/AFP) Off I woke up at 2am, confused about whether the noises I was hearing were air-raid sirens or crowds in nearby synagogues, singing and dancing into the late hours in celebration of the Purim holiday. Thousands of Israeli Jews came out into the streets of Jerusalem on Wednesday in defiance of instructions from the police and Home Front Command. On the other side of the city, Al-Aqsa Mosque was closed for the fifth day in the middle of Ramadan, under the pretext that there is a war on and it’s too dangerous to allow prayer in public.