Torah from Bet El: Shmot

What Israel Does to Your Mind

Baruch Gordon looks at the promise that Hashem made to Moshe about the Land of Israel and considers what it means for us today.

Torah from Bet El: Vayechi

The Proper Diaspora Mindset

Baruch Gordon looks at why prophecy was taken from Yaakov when he tried to share the secret of the date of the Redemption and deduces what should be the mindset of a Jew in the Diaspora.

 

Ketzaleh: Yesha is Growing, Despite Netanyahu

by Hillel Fendel

"It is not true that there is no Jewish construction in Yesha," Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz told Arutz Sheva today. "There most definitely is, even if less than in other years. But in general, Yesha growth should not be credited to Prime Minister Netanyahu; it's not because of him, but despite him."

Ketzaleh explained the situation of Jewish construction in the settlement enterprise of Yesha (Judea and Samaria): "Over the past 10-11 years since Netanyahu returned to office, construction here has been initiated mostly by the mayors, the heads of local councils, and individuals – but not at government initiative. We should give Netanyahu credit for standing by his word when he said that building Yesha is not his priority. He has in fact built less in Yesha, percentage-wise, than any other Prime Minister since these areas have been in our hands."

Netanyahu vs. West Bank Jewish Villages

by Hillel Fendel

Even though the Knesset has dissolved and new legislation will have to wait until after - way after - the elections in March (a week before Passover), efforts are still underway to get the Government of Israel to approve a very basic civilian need: hasdarah - the official hooking-up of 20 small Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria to the official national water and electricity infrastructures.

The success of these efforts appears to be dependent upon one man: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

IDF Prep Academy Hosts "Corona" Wedding

Last Wednesday night Israel's Cabinet approved a third lockdown to begin this past Sunday and to last for at least two weeks. This did not bode well for Oded, a former student and current counselor at Bet El's IDF Prep Academy, who was supposed to get married this upcoming Thursday at an open wedding hall in the Mercaz.

When Oded first came to the Academy, he had no contact with his father, no serious connection to Torah and mitzvot [commandments], and he was working in a mall with very few prospects for his future.

Urgent Appeal for CFO's Lifesaving Medication

Dear friends and supporters,

The CFO of Bet El Institutions – a real, honest, diamond of a person, and an accomplished Torah scholar – was diagnosed in the early summer of 2018 with Mesothelioma cancer. After testing several different (and unsuccessful) types of chemo, doctors finally found one that reduced the growth.

The chemo was not covered in the social medicine (Kupat Holim) basket and it cost $9,100/month. So two years ago we turned to you to help cover the cost of this lifesaving medicine – and it worked!

This man is an administrative genius, a veteran worker of decades, and plays a key role as Bet El Institutions’ Chief Financial Officer – he is the brains behind balancing the books for ALL educational and construction projects. He also volunteers for multiple causes in Bet El, including as an active member on the Bet El Town Council. As Bet El Institutions’ founder Ketzaleh says, “He is Bet El’s most important behind-the-scenes person.”

Unfortunately, the CFO was informed recently that the cancer has returned, and he will need a new medication that is also not covered in the social medicine (Kupat Holim) basket. The cost is $2,500/month and it must be taken for 6 months.

So once again, we are turning to the public for help with this out-of-budget expense of funding a lifesaving treatment for a man most worthy. Please contribute today by clicking the red button below.

Donate for our CFO's lifesaving treatment and make a difference

Many thanks for any amount.

Baruch Gordon for Ketzaleh and the entire staff

Arutz Sheva: On the Frontlines of Politics

Arutz Sheva Israel National News has been working tirelessly to provide the most current news reports of political developments to its readers.

Arutz Sheva reporters have accompanied PM Bibi Netanyahu of his official visits with world leaders across the globe, including Washington and Warsaw, for the most up-to-date coverage. Reporters are also currently in Dubai covering the Abraham Accords as they are felt in the field.

Arutz Sheva has been strengthening its connection with Diaspora Jewry via cooperations with various ministries and organizations around the world to cover important Jewish news taking place outside Israel.

Donate to Arutz Sheva and make a difference!

Ketzaleh: Construction Full Steam Ahead

 

Donate to build Bet El and make a difference!

Naming the Levinger Highway to Hevron

by Hillel Fendel

First Menachem Begin, Yitzchak Rabin, former Foreign Minister Yigal Alon – and now Rabbi and Rabbanit Levinger of the City of the Patriarchs [Hevron] have joined the club: They all have highways named after them in Israel.

Kvish Rabin (Highway 6) is Israel's first toll highway, from the Galilee to the Negev; Kvish Begin runs through Jerusalem; and Kvish Alon in the Jordan Valley. The latest of these routes is still under construction, but it already has a name: Kvish Levinger, named after the founders of modern-day Jewish Hevron, Rabbi Moshe and Rabbanit Miriam Levinger.

Needed: Three New Shomron Highways

by Matanel Eitan, inn.co.il/besheva, translated by Hillel Fendel

The Jewish towns and settlement enterprise in Shomron (Samaria) is growing and thriving – but the challenge facing local and national government is whether the transportation infrastructures can keep pace.

Torah from Bet El: Vayeshev

Secrets of the Return to Zion in the Story of Yoseph

Baruch Gordon looks at the story of Yosef to find out his secret in bringing the Mashiach ben Yosef. He discusses a teaching of the Vilna Gaon, who shares a remarkable insight into the powerful character of Yosef and how his example inspires us today in the Land of Israel.

Torah from Bet El: Vayishlakh

 The Importance of Purchasing Land in Israel

Baruch Gordon looks at the story of Yaakov returning to Israel after being abroad, and his purchase of a field. Why does the Torah bother to tell us about this purchase and what is its significance for us today? Watch the video to find out.

Torah from Bet El: Vayeitze

How Can Jews Know When To Return To Israel?

Baruch Gordon looks at the story of Yaakov and Lavan to get the Torah's perspective on when Jews should return to the Land of Israel in modern times. In light of recent anti-Semitic attacks, the lesson we can take away from Yaakov and Lavan's exchange is especially timely.

Torah from Bet El: Toldot

Shared Power of Circumcision & the Land

Baruch Gordon looks at the Torah reading Toldot to uncover the unique power of circumcision and what it teaches us about the Holy Land. He closes with the Sandak’s mysteriously powerful blessing. 

Construction - Where We Stand

Amidst lockdowns and downpours Bet El Institutions never stops building! In addition to the constant construction of the new IDF Prep Academy campus (above), the landscaping around the Yeshiva (below, right) is almost done, and the new 20-unit apartment building for married students (below, left) is now complete!

Elite IDF Women's Units - It's Not Worth The Harm

by Ofrah Lax, www.inn.co.il/besheva, translated and adapted by Hillel Fendel

Israel's Supreme Court has deferred its ruling on a case brought by several future (female) soldiers who wish to enlist in elite combat units, saying it will wait to hear the IDF's position.

It was a real "happening" last Monday outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem. Women with placards calling for the IDF to grant gender equality, MK and former IDF Personnel Branch head (retired with the rank of Major-General) Orit Barbivai making speeches in favor of the same, and four young women and their lawyers explaining to every available media microphone why they demand to be recruited to the unit of their choice. 

Internet Revolution in Judea & Samaria

by the Yesha Council, myesha.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel

Just in time for the expected new wave of Aliyah! Israel's Communications Ministry has announced a new policy that will facilitate ultra-fast internet infrastructures, effective immediately.

Specifically, the Ministry wishes to bridge the internet capability gaps between the areas known as the "periphery" – Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley, and elsewhere – and central Israel.

Building Plans in Yesha Finally Approved!

by the Yesha Council, http://myesha.org.il/, translated by Hillel Fendel

After eight long months of a construction freeze whose end did not appear in sight, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu finally agreed to convene a meeting of the Supreme Construction Planning Commission – and the results almost made it worth the wait!

Expiration of Iran Sanctions - What's Next?

Iran Sanctions Expiration: Biden Will Allow, Trump Will Not

[Dr. Guy Bechor spotlights a critical but all-but-ignored news development]

by Hillel Fendel 

What's with the arms embargo on Iran that expired this week? It seems the media is busy with other topics, but at least Arab affairs expert Dr. Guy Bechor (Gplanet.co.il) is "on" this all-important issue.

He warns in his analysis this week that it could stir up trouble in South America, with Iranian rockets ending up in dictatorial Venezuela; that Obama-Kerry are to blame, not Trump; and that Russia and Iran signed an arms deal on the very first day after the embargo's expiration date.

But most important, Iran itself warns that only the U.S. and Israel have what to fear!

Will Bibi Rotate with Gantz -- or with Bennett?

by Hillel Fendel

[Two B'sheva commentators provide their political prognoses at this point in time]

Though Covid-19 appears to have no plans to leave us any time soon, the political process in Israel – always a source of fascination, though some would use a more negative term – continues along its wrangling way. 

The ultimate question is: Will the "unity" government - comprising the two rival parties Likud and Blue-and-White - continue to limp along, or will Prime Minister Netanyahu arrange for new elections before the clause enabling Benny Gantz to replace him in rotation takes effect? 

Bet El Highlight: IDF Takes Command Over Tefillin Delivery

IDF pulls out all the stops to ensure man in

Corona hotel has tefillin to use after Sukkot

(A true story from the eve of the Sukkot [Feast of Tabernacles] holiday)

The following question came into the Bet El Yeshiva "Ask the Rabbi" website a few hours before the Sukkot holiday:

--------------------

Subject: Need tefillin.

I am a Covid positive patient. I was evacuated straight from the hospital two days ago to a hotel in Jerusalem designated for quarantined Corona patients, and I haven't put on tefillin [phylacteries] since leaving the hospital.

I need your help to acquire tefillin so I can pray to recover from this illness. If you could somehow get me some tefillin, it would make me so happy. 

Hag same'ah,

D

--------------------

Mo'adim l'simha!

Here's a little something to bring you joy during Sukkot:

Peace for Peace? Or Peace for Planning Freeze?

by Hillel Fendel

In light of worrying "construction freeze" indications from the direction of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the Yesha Council is taking action. Responding to his apparent signals to effectively freeze Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria, the Council announced this month the launching of a special campaign to pressure him and his government to issue building permits. Such permits can only be done by the Planning Council, which the prime minister has not convened in over six months. 

Open Letter to Friends of Judea & Samaria

Originally published in myesha.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel

To our residents in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley, and to the friends throughout Israel and the Diaspora supporting the enterprise to return the Jewish people to this land -

Celebrating "Temporary" Sovereignty Loss

by Hillel Fendel

While the Covid-19 crisis continues to occupy most news pages, shows, and websites, critical developments in other areas are liable to be overlooked. Who remembers, for instance, that the formation of the hostile entity of a Palestinian state, an acute danger to the welfare of the State of Israel, was basically averted – for now – by a savior who came out of the blue totally unexpectedly?

What happened was that while the nationalist camp was divided on whether to concentrate on the full or the empty half-cup of the Trump Deal of the Century, and while Prime Minister Netanyahu himself couldn't seem to decide whether or not he favored sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, the decision was made for us: The signing of a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates all but took sovereignty off the table, as the UAE made this a condition for signing.

Learning Torah in the Time of Corona

The Bet El Yeshiva is back in session! With 60 new students (about 370 in total!), meeting the proper health requirements has been a challenge that the administration and student body have been happy to meet.

Landscaping in Bet El

Bet El Institutions has begun developing the landscaping around the main Yeshiva building as well as the Gluck dining hall - a one million dollar project that will include lighting as well as an outdoor plaza! The pictures below display how the area looks today.

Postponing Sovereignty Once Again...

by Bet El Mayor Shai Alon, translated by Hillel Fendel

Here we go again. Once more, it's "not the right time" for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. Once again, there are more important things on the agenda. Once again, historic justice and the placement of facts on the ground so critical for the future of the State of Israel are shunted aside, in favor of written agreements and (hollow) applause in capitals around the world.

Construction Updates from Ketzaleh

Bet El Institutions is currently completing the construction of 20 housing units in a 7-story building on the northern hill that will mostly house families connected to the Yeshiva via work or study.

Furthermore, additional plans for residential construction, and construction of classrooms, are in final stages of approval.

Concurrently, work continues on the site of 300 new housing units for Bet El residents. The foundations of some of the 8-story buildings are already completed, and it is estimated that by Passover families will be able to move into several of the buildings.

Scathing Report Underlines Need for Sovereignty

Based on article originally published on myesha.org.il, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

Want another set of reasons for why Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria is so important? Here you go:

Israel's State Comptroller released a critical report this week on the operations of the Civil Administration – the IDF body that governs Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley (the area also known as "Yesha") for the State of Israel. The report addresses the ways in which the Civil Administration fulfills its duties towards very basic and important parts of the lives of every Israeli in these areas – and it's not pretty.

Let us firstly explain that after the Six Day War in 1967, Yesha was never formally annexed or incorporated as part of Israel. It was therefore governed by a "military government" – just as parts of the Galilee were governed for several years after the War of Independence. The Galilee eventually became a full-fledged part of Israel, but this has not yet happened for Yesha. Instead, the Camp David Accords of 1981 between Israel and Egypt stipulated that the governing body in Yesha would be an IDF Civil Administration. The Administration is subordinate to the Defense Ministry's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) - it is a military body.

The State Comptroller's criticism notes that many of the problems it lists in the performance of the Civil Administration have been ongoing for years. Some of the report's main points are as follows:

Interface between the Civil Administration and government offices – Most government ministries do not have effective supervision over their own representatives in Yesha. The ministries are thus not sufficiently able to actualize their policies in Yesha.

Non-advancement of land registration arrangements in Jewish residential areas in Yesha – Ongoing disputes between the Civil Administration and the Ministry of Justice prevent or impede land registration arrangements from being advanced. This harms Israeli residents' ability to register and sell their property and even to receive mortgages. Even the computerization of land registration in Yesha has been held up because of this.

Palestinian Workers: Rights and Security - Work permits are illegally sold and traded, and illegal payments are levied upon workers, partially because of the lack of implementation of a Cabinet decision on the matter.

In addition, the work permit policy is not sufficiently supervised and enforced, causing a grave security danger.

PA workers in the Land Registry Unit – A Palestinian worker in the Land Registry unit that provides services to the Palestinian population was arrested by the Palestinian Authority – yet no Civil Administration or other security source has looked into the likelihood that information was leaked to the PA as a result.

The Yesha Council notes that it has been attempting for many years to call attention to the many problems involved in the fact that a military body runs the daily lives of the Israeli citizens in Yesha. The government ministries are hampered in providing them proper services, given that they must pass through the hands of the military personnel who both decide and execute them. Problems are evident particularly in the areas of public transportation, roads, land registry, water, electricity, environmental protection, archaeology, planning, and more.  

The situation is such that service in civilian matters passes through a military filter, creating gaps and discrimination against Israelis living in Yesha.

What is needed now more than ever is a basic and fundamental change and rectification. The only just solution to all the problems raised by the Comptroller is to apply complete Israeli law in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. This is the logical conclusion of the Comptroller's report.

Only Israeli sovereignty over these areas will be able to solve these problems and end the discrimination against Israeli citizens in Yesha.

IDF Beats Back Hezbollah Attack

By Hillel Fendel

Hezbollah fails in promised revenge bid; Netanyahu warns not to try again

The Tough Sovereignty Choice

Based on an article by myesha.org.il, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

July 1, the day stipulated in the unity government coalition for the starting of the sovereignty process in Judea and Samaria, has long come and gone, and – nothing. Zilch. The Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria reports that 47% of the population will regard it a "personal failure" of Binyamin Netanyahu if sovereignty does not happen.

Iran is Falling, Israel is Rising

Based on a lecture by Dr. Guy Bechor, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

Iranian flags

Over the past two weeks, the world has seen seven mysterious explosions in the area of Tehran, all targeting Iran's nuclear industry, its rocket industry, and/or its Revolutionary Guards. Seven is not a few, so it's impossible to ignore them or their significance. The first one occurred at the end of June, in the giant military complex of Parchin near Tehran – a site with missile installations, nuclear factories, and more – with an explosion that was seen all over Tehran. This was followed by several more explosions, including in the famous site of Natanz; experts are saying that it could take Iran two years to make up the loss in its nuclear industry. They have been working on this project for a strangely long time, since the 90's, and it's not clear why it has never reached a successful conclusion; perhaps Iran doesn't want to.

The staff and married students apartment building is complete

Bet El Institutions staff and married students apartment building

The staff and married students apartment building is complete! We are putting the finishing touches on the development around the building, such as the sidewalks and parking lot. In about one month we should be authorized for families to begin moving in!

Rav Berel Wein on the State of America and Aliyah

(Conference call with Rabbi Berel Wein)

Rabbi Berel Wein discusses the current state of America, the historical patterns of Jews living in Diaspora, and why it's time to begin making plans for Aliyah today.

Why Arab Countries Are Reluctant About a PA State

By Yoram Ettinger, originally published in myesha.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel

Yoram Ettinger

While Western policy focuses on how a Palestinian state would function in the future, Arab countries grant critical importance to how the Palestinians have functioned in the past, as a sign of how they would operate in the future.

Concentrating on the future is subjective and a matter of conjecture, whereas past performance is objective and documented. Well-known psychologist Dr. Albert Ellis said it clearly: "The most effective forecast of the future is based on the behavior of the past." Western thinking gives great weight to Arab "talk" that embraces the Palestinians, but ignores past Arab actions that actually seek to keep the Palestinians at bay.

Interview: Chaim Silberstein: Bet El Resident, Father of Terror Victim

Chaim Silberstein tells of his journey to the Land of Israel, lessons learned outside the classroom, and motivations for living a full Jewish life. Silberstein's daughter, Shira Ish-Ran, was seriously injured in a terrorist attack about a year and a half ago. In this interview, he also updates readers on the court case against the terrorist and shares his thoughts about the experience.

Chaim Silberstein and his family

Fifty Ways to Leave America

by Hillel Fendel

(First in a series)

Aliyah

One fine day a few years ago, a friend of mine was walking down the street in Silver Spring, MD, when he happened to meet a former American who had moved to Israel some years earlier. They got to talking, and the latter said at one point, "It's such a beautiful day! Why do you seem down?"

"Well, the truth is," my friend said, "I'm turning 50 this week, and I got to thinking: Am I going in the right direction Jewishly? I think there must be something I could do to really upgrade my Judaism."

The other didn't blink: "How about making Aliyah?"

The Trump Plan: Moving the Lines

Originally published by myesha.org.il, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

Map of the West Bank detailed in Trump's Deal of the Century

What exactly is Trump's Deal of the Century? This question has been up in the air ever since it was festively presented at the White House during Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington in January.

Here at the Yesha Council for Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria, we have studied the 180-page book that comprises the Deal, with all its clauses and addenda. For nearly the past four months, we have been carefully studying and reviewing the text of the plan and all its ramifications on a daily basis. One thing is certain: It's a historic deal - and those of its aspects that will be accepted in one form or another will have tremendous long-term consequences for Jewish life in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

The text of this proposed compromise between the Israelis and the Arabs of Yesha [Judea and Samaria] basically makes for easy reading, though it includes not a few general principle and details.  As explained in the plan itself, the nitty-gritty details have not yet been worked out, and are to be decided in direct Israel-PA negotiations.

Still and all, media interviews with PM Netanyahu and US Ambassador David Friedman have somewhat clarified for us several points that, in written format, were left vague.

Danger!

What we can now say is this: We are now more certain of what we at first only suspected – namely, that this outline, as it appears at present, is dangerous for the Jewish communities in Yesha.

Land Concession is Like Wife Sharing

Rabbi Aviner on the Deal of the Century
[Translated by Hillel Fendel]

Former Beit El Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Rosh Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim in the Old City, is interviewed by Rabbi Mordechai Tzion

Rav Shlomo Aviner

Q. Some say we should accept the Deal of the Century because it's the best deal we have ever received, and we won't get a better one, and if we try for too much we'll end up with nothing.

A. Of course we'll receive better offers! The reason why this proposal is less terrible than the others is not because the Americans suddenly fell in love with us. It is because, with G-d's help, our diplomatic standing in the world has become much stronger – militarily, economically, and in terms of our international relations.

And all of a sudden we see that the Arab nations around us would like normalization with us. And so our position is improving all the time. In any event, we don't make any deals with the Land of our life's blood.

Q. Some say that politics is just talk anyway, and therefore we can agree to this deal, because for sure the Arabs will refuse, and then we'll come out the good guys and we'll reap the benefits.

A. Regarding the Land of Israel, even just talk of betrayal is a terrible sin. It would be like a man who says that he agrees to lend his wife to his neighbor a few days a week, in the knowledge that his neighbor won't agree; this is also betrayal.

Bet El Construction Relaunches!!!

Will U.S.-Israel Relations Trump Sovereignty?

The Deal of the Century:

Opportunities and (Increasingly High) Risks

[by Hillel Fendel, based on articles by myesha.org.il and Haggai Huberman]

Senior officials in the Trump Administration are pressuring Israel to agree that it will suffice with 30% of the area – no matter what the PA does.

PM Netanyahu and President Trump shaking hands (Credit: The White House)

The Trump Administration's basic support for Israel is nothing to take for granted – but neither is it to be embraced without questions and doubts.

Freeing Terrorists Can Kill!

[Translated by Hillel Fendel]

Words of advice for the new government from the Yesha Council (Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria)

"Freeing terrorists kills"

Reports of a deal between Israel and Hamas are intensifying. The deal is said to involve the release of an unknown number of imprisoned Muslim terrorists, in exchange for the release of two Israeli citizens and the corpses of two Israeli soldiers. Previous releases of terrorists have led to Israeli deaths.

In October 2011, Israelis of all stripes were happy to see the fulfillment of their long-held hopes that captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit would one day return to Israel. Finally, after five long years, the media was thrilled to blare repeatedly that "everyone's child" Gilad was returning home.

The only problem was that at the same time that Gilad was returning home, so were 1,027 terrorists and other security prisoners who had been incarcerated in Israel. Among them were 280 Palestinian terrorists sentenced to life terms in prison for their murderous activities.

For instance, there was Nasser Yataima, who took part in the Park Hotel massacre in Netanya (30 dead), three terrorists who took part in the Bus 37 attack in Haifa (17 murdered), and two who helped carry out the Sbarros attack (10 victims). Also celebrating his return home that day were Abdel Aziz Tzalha, one of those who took part in the brutal and murderous Ramallah lynching of two soldiers; two terrorists who helped kidnap the soldier Nachshon Waxman; Abed Amru, a planner of the Café Hillel attack in Jerusalem in which seven were murdered, including a man and his daughter on the night before her wedding; and many more.

These very days, members of bereaved families, together with several organizations such as "My Israel," are manning a protest tent outside the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem. They demand that the government stop negotiating the deal, and certainly not carry it out.

It's important to note what Hamas has been demanding, as of the most recent reports: Several dozen older and infirm terrorists, and several dozen female and child terrorists, in exchange for "information" on the two live Israelis and the two corpses. This would be followed, according to Hamas, by the actual release of the Israelis, live and dead, in exchange for an unknown large number of imprisoned terrorists – including many with blood on their hands.

It is hard to believe that Israeli negotiators might actually be considering such a dangerous, one-sided deal. In fact, the fact that no deal has yet been made apparently indicates that Israel is standing fast against this option.

The protestors are calling upon the Security Cabinet to adopt the Shamgar Report of 2008. That report recommended that to obtain the corpse of an Israeli soldier, only an Arab corpse, or no more than one terrorist, could be released.

What do the soldiers' families say? The parents of Hadar Goldin – one of the two killed-in-action soldiers – says that adopting the Shamgar approach would mean "the end of the people's army," as it is too rigid. However, Hadar's father has said many times that he is not calling upon the Israeli government to release terrorists in exchange for his son's body - but rather to take positive action to make it not worthwhile for Hamas to continue to keep him.

Not only was the Shalit deal the subject of much criticism for its lopsided numbers – over 1,000 terrorists for one soldier – but many of the terrorists who were released then actually continued afterwards to perpetrate attacks against Israelis.

For instance, only six months after the exchange, Police Officer Baruch Mizrachi was murdered on his way to a Passover Seder when a newly-released terrorist fired at him. In addition, the famous "Three Youths," who were kidnapped in 2014 in Gush Etzion and became the subject of a massive search that unified the country, were the victims of a plot organized by Shalit-deal terrorist Mahmoud Kawasme. At least nine people have been murdered by Musim terrorists released in the Shalit deal who later returned to terrorist activities.

The danger in releasing terrorists is palpable. Israel must not agree to a deal-in-blood that leaves us exposed in the turret. The prisoners released in 2011 are no different from the prisoners to be released in 2020, and they are just as dangerous.

We understand the pain of the families of the missing Israelis. We love them, we embrace them, and we appreciate their desire to fight for their loved one's return home for a Jewish burial. But this cannot be done at a price that will critically hurt the State of Israel and its citizens.

Deborah Gonen, whose son was among those murdered by a Shalit-terrorist after the release, wrote to the Prime Minister: "I admit that I was among those who favored the Shalit deal. As a mother, I understood Mrs. Shalit's heart; she just wanted her son back ... I also want my son back… And you, Mr. Prime Minister … can prevent another journey of misery and pain for the existing bereaved families, and for those who will join in the future."

Israel is Stable and Strong, While Neighboring Countries Collapse

Adapted, with additions in brackets, from a lecture by Middle East expert Dr. Guy Bechor, editor of Gplanet.co.il, by Hillel Fendel

"...precisely today, Israel is flourishing and shining, while the Arab states are dying. What is left of them? Just plots of land… I'm not talking just about Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, which no longer exist for all intents and purposes – but also the other ones which have collapsed during this Corona period. Although some Arab states, such as Syria and Jordan, were later carved out of the land that was supposed to be Jewish, the fact remains that of all these countries, barely anything remains! We see that Israel is the only one of all that can support itself!..."

San Remo Conference Mandate for Palestine

Meretz MK: Most Yesha Jews Will Never Leave

[based on an article by Yishai Friedman in Makor Rishon, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel]

MK Yair Golan (Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Yes, other things are going on in the world aside from Corona. MK Yair Golan of Meretz, who has made some provocatively radical left-wing comments in the recent past, held a Zoom discussion last week with Meretz party activists. Golan presented his position on the evacuation and destruction of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, acknowledging that it does not jibe with that of most of his party colleagues. "A return to the pre-1967 borders is impossible," he said, "and the Palestinians [the Arabs living in Judea and Samaria – ed.] know this as well."

Politics in the Shadow of Corona

Written by Hillel Fendel

Gantz (left), Bibi (right)

Though solidarity and unity is now the name of the game in every-day life in Israel because of the Coronavirus hardships, politicians and public officials often appear to be playing on a different field. The Likud and Blue-and-White parties continue to bicker, with the Supreme Court stoking the flames of the conflict.

Lessons From the Corona Plague

Originally published by yeshiva.org.il, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

The educational staff of the Bnei Binyamin Yeshiva High School in Bet El, and others, compiled the following list of lessons, appropriate for all ages during this difficult period.

Coronavirus (credit: istock)

Tuvia Victor: From Tragedy to Tranquility

Interview conducted by Sharona Eshet-Kohen

Tuvia Victor founded and manages Bet El's Pinat Chai [children's petting zoo]. In this interview he discusses his time learning at the Bet El Yeshiva, the importance of contributing to Am Yisrael [the Jewish People], and the terrorist attack that led to the creation of the Pinat Chai.

Tuvia feeding the Coati Munti at the Pinat Chai

How Judea and Samaria Voted

Originally published in myesha.org.il, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

A man voting in Israel

True, the world's focus is almost entirely directed at the Corona virus and its constantly changing consequences. But with faith that Corona will not ultimately be a world-stopper, let us look at some very important people in Israel – the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria – and how they voted in a very important election, namely, the most recent balloting for Israel's Knesset.