Members of the Hasmonean Brigade during their beret ceremony at the Western Wall on Aug. 6, 2024. Photo: Screenshot

The first set of troops from the Israel Defense Force’s new ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade completed seven months of basic and advanced training on Wednesday morning, when they received their dark blue berets during a ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

“The army and the Torah go together, shoulder to shoulder. One strengthens the other, ” Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth wrote in a post on X, congratulating the troops. “I bless the ‘Hasmonean’ Brigade – the first ultra-Orthodox brigade in the IDF, which completed its training course today and, in an emotional ceremony at the Western Wall, received their beret. Only together will we triumph.”

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also congratulated the troops, saying that “there is nothing more Jewish than defending the land of Israel.”

Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel added in a post on X that troops in the Hasmonean Brigade are “paving the way for combining faith with courage.”

“You are a symbol of dedication, mission, and contribution to the nation, and you light the path for all of us toward Israel’s unity,” she added. “Your brigade is proof that one can preserve identity while defending the homeland.”

The beret ceremony on Wednesday morning was attended by Shin Bet director and Maj. Gen. David Zini, who was crucial in the creation of the brigade, and brigade commander Col. Avinoam Emunah. Fifty ultra-Orthodox troops did a “beret march” that started in the hills of Jerusalem and ended at the Western Wall Plaza in the Old City of Jerusalem before the start of the ceremony. They blew shofars and sang songs calling for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, according to Israel’s Arutz 7.

Members of the brigade live a Haredi lifestyle both inside and outside the army and are given special accommodations, such as at least an hour of learning Talmud every day. Around 2,700 Haredim, or ultra-Orthodox Jews, have joined the army over the past year, according to Israeli media reports.

The Royal Ballet perform in a general rehearsal of “Dark with Excessive Bright” at the Royal Opera House in London, Britain, Feb. 9, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville

The Royal Ballet and Opera has canceled a performance of Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv scheduled for next year after 182 anti-Israel RBO staff members signed an open letter protesting the planned performance and the organization’s support of Israel.

In an open letter published by Artists for Palestine UK on Monday, RBO staff members said they “reject any current or future performances in Israel” and are committed to “withholding our productions from institutions that legitimize and economically support a state engaged in the mass killing of civilians.” They further condemned RBO’s decision to have a production of “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini at the Israeli Opera this year. “The decision cannot be viewed as neutral. It is a deliberate alignment, materially and symbolically, with a government currently engaged in crimes against humanity,” said staff members – including dancers, singers, musicians, and backstage crew.

They then claimed that the Israeli Opera offers free tickets to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. The RBO “is clearly making a strong political statement by allowing its production and intellectual property to be presented in a space that openly rewards and legitimizes the very forces responsible for the daily killings of civilians in Gaza,” the letter stated.

Staff members demanded that the RBO “withholds our productions from institutions that legitimize and economically support a state engaged in the mass killing of civilians.” They also condemned RBO’s “silence on Israel’s genocidal conduct” and expressed solidarity with a performer who last month raised a Palestinian flag during the curtain call of “Il trovatore” at the Royal Opera House. The staff members said the performer displayed “courage and moral clarity on our very stage.”

Video footage from the incident showed RBO’s Director of Opera Oliver Mears trying to seize the flag from the performer in front of a live, applauding audience. The open letter said Mears’ actions “sent a clear message that any visible solidarity with Palestine would be met with hostility, while the organization remains silent on the ongoing genocide.” They called for Mears “to be held accountable for his public display of aggression,” and demanded that the RBO “publicly acknowledge the genocide in Gaza” and “end its silence” regarding Israel’s actions.

“History will remember the choices we make in times of atrocity. We urge our organization not to be complicit through inaction or false neutrality,” they stated in conclusion.

People walk at a square where Israeli flags are displayed, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 16, 2024. Photo: Reuters/Ricardo Moraes

After 22 months of war in Gaza, Americans continue to sympathize more with Israelis than the Palestinians, according to a new poll.

However, the latest Economist/YouGov poll, which surveyed 1,702 US adult citizens from Aug. 1-4, also found there has been a noticeable shift in public opinion toward the Palestinians, particularly among younger and left-leaning voters.

According to the survey, 29 percent of respondents said their sympathies lie more with Israel, compared to 26 percent who sympathize more with the Palestinians. A substantial 44 percent say they are either unsure or sympathetic to both sides equally.

This represents a notable gain for the Palestinian side. In June, for example, 31 percent of Americans said they sympathized more with the Israelis, while just 21 percent said the same for the Palestinians.

The uptick comes as global attention remains focused on Gaza, where humanitarian agencies have described worsening conditions amid the ongoing conflict.

The new survey highlights a stark political divide: 57 percent of voters who supported US President Donald Trump, a Republican, in the 2024 election said they sympathize with Israel, while just 10 percent said the same for Palestinians.

As for those who voted for 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, just 11 percent responded that they sympathize more with Israel, compared to 45 percent who said the same of the Palestinians.

Ideologically, conservatives’ sympathies side overwhelmingly with Israel (58 percent) over the Palestinians (7 percent), while liberals now favor Palestinians by a margin of 55 percent to 9 percent,

As for political affiliation, Republicans overwhelmingly sympathize more with Israels than Palestinians (56 percent compared to 5 percent), and Democrats’ sympathies fall in the exact opposite direction in favor of the Palestinians (43 percent compared to 9 percent), seemingly upending the traditional bipartisan consensus that long favored Israel.

For all these comparisons, the remaining respondents selected either equal sympathy for both sides or they weren’t sure.

Americans are also divided over whether Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is still justified, according to the poll. While 32 percent of total respondents believe Israel is justified in its conduct, 41 percent say it is not. The remaining 27 percent are unsure.

Support for increased US military aid to Israel remains limited, with just 13 percent in favor and 42 percent advocating less aid. Another 26 percent support maintaining the same level of aid.

Meanwhile, 38 percent of Americans said they want increased humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, whole 18 percent want less and 24 percent support maintaining the same amount.

On the question of a Gaza ceasefire, 61 percent of respondents “strongly support” a truce to the Israel-Hamas war, with another 17 percent “somewhat” supporting it. This included the vast majority of both Republicans and Democrats.

The poll also asked whether respondents approve of Trump’s support for Israel. Thirty-two percent approve of his stance, while 7 percent want to see more support for the Jewish state and 36 percent hpe to less.

A near-majority of Americans, 49 percent, said the Palestinians should have their own state, compared to 17 percent who said they oppose the proposition and 34 percent who “don’t know.” A strong majority of Democrats indicated support for a Palestinian state, while Republicans expressed wariness about the prospect.