Religious Divide(s) Inside Israel post-October 7
Religious Divide(s) Inside Israel post-October 7
Religious divides within Israel have intensified in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza. Several fundamental socio-political cleavages, long present in the country's social and political fabric, have become more pronounced as different segments of Israeli society react to the heightened sense of threat and insecurity. The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, traditionally more insular and often less supportive of military service, face increased scrutiny and tension with secular and national-religious groups who view military service as a civic duty. The talk will define and evaluate the significance as well as the implications of these social and political divides as they are reflected in images and content used by the general and sectorial Israeli media post-October 7.
Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar is a senior lecturer at Sapir Academic College in Sderot, Israel, where she teaches courses on research methods, communication, religion, and gender. She is also a scholar at the Israel Democracy Institute, where she studies media usage among the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Dr. Neriya Ben-Shahar’s research revolves around the study of mass media from the perspectives of religion and gender. Her research addresses the tensions existing between religious values and new technologies among women in Old Order Amish and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities. Her book, Strictly Observant: Amish and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Women Negotiating Media, was published by Rutgers University Press in January 2024.