Our Fathom Highlight this week is an interview with Israeli politician and former soldier Elazar Stern. Stern served as a Major General in the Israel Defense Forces and as Head of the Manpower Directorate before entering the Knesset for Hatnuah, and currently serves as an MK for the centrist Yesh Atid party led by Yair Lapid. In this interview, Stern discusses the turbulent relationship between state and religion in Israel and his transition from a career in the army into politics.

Our voice of the week is Efraim Halevy in conversation with Times of Israel’s David Horovitz in a sold-out event on 26 February 2017. As well as sharing anecdotes on his career, Halevy discusses the challenges facing Israel in the region, including Russia, Iran and the Palestinians.

Our image of the week is members of the Knesset security team taking part at a defence drill against terror attacks at the Knesset in Jerusalem, 26 February 2017.

State and religion in Israel: An interview with Elazar Stern

by Elazar Stern