Many parallels can be drawn between the foundational beliefs of the Shi'ites and the Jews, particularly when it comes to ultra-Orthodoxy. This surprising connection didn't occur by chance
Worshippers at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran, this month. In both Iran and Israel, religious leaders wield governing power. Credit: Vahid Salemi / AP
Many parallels can be drawn between the foundational beliefs of the Shi'ites and the Jews, particularly when it comes to ultra-Orthodoxy. This surprising connection didn't occur by chance
12:10 AM • March 21 2026 IST
In a way that may surprise those living in such a turbulent environment, there are only three instances in the Middle East where a state or powers within it are led by bodies that declare that they are representatives of God on Earth: Iran, ruled by the ayatollah (literally, sign of God), holder of supreme authority in the country; Hezbollah (Party of God), which was headed by the dominant leader Hassan Nasrallah until his assassination; and Israel, where religious parties, across the ultra-Orthodox and nationalist spectrum, play a decisive role in the political realm and in the survival of the Netanyahu government.
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