Israeli soldiers given Temple-themed board game ahead of Passover
Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 13:45
Temple imagery in gift from reservists reflects growing religious tone amid war with Iran
Game feature enemies including Turkey’s Erdogan, former Hezbollah chief Nasrallah and Iran's late leader Ali Khamenei (X) Off Israeli reservists created and distributed a Temple-themed board game to fellow soldiers last week ahead of Passover, according to the army.
The gifts were first reported by journalist Or Kashti last week, who said that the game - titled From Egypt to Jerusalem - tasks players with reaching the Temple by progressing across a board featuring religious and military imagery.
Instructions invite players to “choose a route from Egypt” and advance towards Jerusalem, ending with the phrase “Next year in Jerusalem”, commonly recited during Passover.
The game was distributed as Jews began celebrating Passover from Wednesday evening last week. The festival, one of the most significant in the Jewish calendar, commemorates the biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt towards freedom in the land of Israel.
“Choose a route from Egypt and proceed along the way to Jerusalem,” the game’s instructions say, as players move through different spaces to reach the Temple.
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“Next year in Jerusalem,” the instructions conclude, echoing a common phrase recited during Passover.
On their way to the Temple, players pass “revival” squares decorated with Jewish and Israeli symbols, as well as military imagery. They can also draw cards labelled “miracles and heroism”.
חיילי מילואים קיבלו השבוע מתנה לחג: משחק קופסה משיחי 1. המשימה: להגיע ראשון לבית המקדש 2. בין המשימות: "עמוד על רגל אחת וספר על משהו טוב שקרה לעם ישראל השבוע" ו"הצג שיחת טלפון שבה פרעה מייעץ לנשיא איראן". 3. על הלוח מופיע לוגו של גדוד הר ציון בחטיבת ירושלים. כך נראה שת"פ ממוסד pic.twitter.com/SnRH2ay1WL — Or Kashti אור קשתי (@OrKashti) March 31, 2026
Other spaces depict historical and modern enemies, including figures resembling Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a Hamas fighter, and Iran’s recently killed supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, alongside older historical adversaries such as the Crusaders and the Babylonians.
“In every generation they rise up to destroy us,” the instructions say, referencing another well-known Passover phrase.
A spokesperson for the Israeli military told Middle East Eye that the game was neither created nor distributed by the army, adding that it was “created by reservists on their personal initiative”.
War and religion intertwined
The report comes as Israel sees a rise in religious rhetoric and symbolism amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.
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Last month, some Israelis marked Purim by drawing parallels between the current war and the biblical story of the Persian Empire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also used religious language linked to Passover to describe the Israeli assault.
“On the eve of this Festival of Freedom, Israel is stronger than ever,” he said last month, referring to the holiday symbolising liberation.
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"In every generation they rise up to destroy us, and in this generation, the regime of the ayatollahs made a massive effort to annihilate us, to take over the Middle East, and to threaten the entire world," Netanyahu added, as he spoke about how the joint Israeli-US assault is crushing Iran.
“We have dealt ten plagues upon the Axis of Evil,” he said, invoking the biblical story of the 10 plagues of Egypt.
It remains unclear how widely the board game was distributed.
The development also comes as Israel continues to undermine the long-standing status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Last month, Israel extended the closure of Al-Aqsa in occupied East Jerusalem, which Jews revere as the site of the ancient First and Second Temples.
Since Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir took office in 2022, Al-Aqsa Mosque - one of the holiest sites in Islam - has seen a sharp rise in the number of Jewish worshippers entering the complex, in violation of the Status Quo.
Religious symbols within the Israeli army have also become more visible since the start of the genocide in Gaza.
A CNN team was detained by Israeli soldiers last month in a Palestinian village as settlers established an outpost in Tayasir in the occupied West Bank.
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In the footage, one soldier was heard boasting about taking revenge against Palestinians, while another appeared to be wearing a “Messiah” patch on his uniform.
Last year, the Israeli army said it would no longer allow soldiers to wear such patches.
Inside Israel Tel Aviv, Israel News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19
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