Archaeologists in Israel are feeling more and more besieged as they face increasingly violent attacks from the ultra-Orthodox community as well as government interference in their work. Many archaeologists say their field is in crisis. Employees of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) are routinely harassed at work and at home. Violence against IAA workers is not a new problem, but it appears to be increasing. Members of Atra Kadisha, a group of self-appointed preservers of grave sites who are part of the ruling council of an anti-Zionista religious community, have often come to blows with IAA archaeologists, several of […]
