They do not recognize the secular government of Israel, insisting that when God wants to establish a Jewish state, he will do so without human help. Archaeology in Israel Dina Shiloh 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.
Violence against IAA workers is not a new problem, but it appears to be increasing. The Authority's cars have been torched, and excavation sites have been damaged. Amir Drori, director of the IAA, regularly receives death threats to himself and his family. Ultra-Orthodox activists claim that a similar curse brought on the illness that ended the life of archaeologist Yigal Shiloh, who died in 1987, at age 50, while excavating Jerusalem's City of David. He says he feels no guilt for the resulting threats.