As the Israel Defense Forces increased its troops in the north Jan. 22 in light of tensions in the region, about 900 Israelis gathered at the Maccabi basketball arena in the Tel Aviv suburb of Rishon LeZion for an evening of knights doing battle. The Israeli soul, it seems, finds it difficult to refuse another dose of violence, even if it is a little strange because it seems like a game but sort of isn't.
Seven Israelis and seven guests from Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Russia, and Ukraine have come to fight each other with swords, axes and javelins, wearing helmets that weigh 5 kilos (11 pounds), chain mail weighing in at 30 kilos (66 pounds) and armor adding another 5 kilos. They battle in a ring surrounded by iron chains and an arena with painted flags for decoration. Medieval music completes the atmosphere.