Members68 Sheep for a Feast

While Israel is a bastion of modern Western values and culture, it is still very much a part of the Middle East—and some things in this region haven’t changed in millennia.

By Ryan Jones |
Kara (center) is the first Druze Cabinet minister
A CAUSE TO CELEBRATE Kara (center) is the first Druze Cabinet minister

For instance, joyful celebration is typically accompanied by the slaughter of animals for a feast.

While most of Israel’s Jewish population no longer engages in such practices, one need only open the pages of the Bible to know that it is part of their cultural heritage. For that reason, Israel’s newest government minister, Ayoub Kara, a member of the Druze minority that still adheres to such customs, thought his Jewish countrymen would accept his celebratory slaughter.

Kara, a member of the ruling Likud party, is the first Druze to ever hold a Cabinet position. To mark the occasion, he held a feast and slaughtered 68 sheep for his guests, one for each...

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