The comment regarding "narrow-minded, elitist interpretation of religion" seemed to me as a serious condemnation of Israel, so I assumed the other sentence of the post was also not entirely in jest. If I was mistaken, I apologize if Blackcatter thinks I have misrepresented her opinion. I agree that the fundamentalists have such an interpretation, and I do not think they should be allowed to wield power, but the Israeli Orthodox wield less power, and arguably less oppressively, than the Muslim theocrats in the region.