Israel is opening a new national natural history museum in Tel Aviv in the wake of a public debate over evolution. But the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History places special emphasis on the flora and fauna indigenous to the Holy Land and Middle East. “Natural history museums record nature, study nature, and also share their knowledge and treasures with the general public,” Dayan said. “It’s really a sensitive issue in Israel,” said Israel Hershkovitz, a Tel Aviv University anthropology professor who helped curate the exhibit, echoing remarks from other museum officials. A small natural history museum in Jerusalem recently came under fire for covering an exhibit about human evolution with a sheet to appease ultra-Orthodox visitors.

Source: Washington Post June 05, 2018 08:26 UTC