Forensic medicine and religion in the identification of dead soldiers' bodies

Meira Weiss*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper offers an ethnographic analysis of the conflict surrounding the identification of dead Israeli soldiers, which is being performed both scientifically (by the Institute of Forensic Medicine) and religiously (by the army rabbinate). Despite the Institute's claims for superior objectivity and accuracy, it is the army rabbinate that has the final authority over identification and burial. The paper discusses cultural and organizational aspects of the conflict over identification, and explores related issues such as DNA repositories. It is argued that Israeli and Jewish identities, although sometimes discursively (politically) separated, are still closely tied in more fundamental, non-discursive practices of body identification. This traditional fusion, however, has been recently challenged by public and civil discontent with the performance of the army rabbinate.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)119-131
Number of pages13
JournalMortality
Volume13
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2008

Keywords

  • Army rabbinate
  • Forensic medicine
  • Genetics
  • IDF
  • Israel

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