by Hillel Fendel
With less than two days to go before the new government is sworn in this Thursday, its designated head, Binyamin Netanyahu, still has plenty of work ahead of him before it can happen.
Among his difficult tasks will be to appoint the Foreign Minister, the Knesset Speaker, and Minister of Justice, and to deal with the controversies generated by recent remarks made by MKs of the Religious-Zionist party.
by Hillel Fendel
It appears that the new Netanyahu government – "full-steam to the right," he has called it – is actually likely to be sworn in by next week (Hanukah), or immediately afterwards.
The new coalition took a major step this morning (Tuesday) by choosing a new Knesset Speaker, Likud MK Yariv Levine, who held the post in the previous Likud-led government. His Speakership will be temporary, however, as he will likely be named as Justice Minister in the new government; his replacement as Speaker is not yet known for certain.
Update from Rav Yair Rosenthal, Educational Director of the Bet El IDF Prep Academy
Our monthly theme for this past month of Heshvan was "Taking Responsibility," and many of our activities – in addition to the usual many daily classes, prayers, and Torah study – centered around it. The cadets took part in a variety of experiences featuring volunteer work and education empowerment.
by Hillel Fendel, based on articles originally published in Besheva
We had hoped that the new nationalist government would be formed quickly and easily. We wanted to see the outgoing government become a historical footnote as soon as possible – the government of which the 30 terrorism victims of 2022 - the most since 2015 - were just one of the many damages of its failed policies.
We also thought that a year and a half of successful cooperation in the opposition by the parties of the future government would continue when they finally reached their mutual goal. But it seems that not. Netanyahu is not succeeding in respecting his partners' needs, and in particular, as is his custom, he wishes to minimize the role of the religious-Zionist public in his government.
Translated by Hillel Fendel
A debate circulated by the Kuwaiti AlziadiQ8 website between two unidentified Muslim clerics (though one of them is apparently called Abu Sayif), appears to have been won by the elder debater – the one who maintained that even according to the Quran, "the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish nation."
by Netael Bandel, originally published in Israel Hayom, Hillel Fendel
One of the most important people in the government about to formed in Israel will be the Justice Minister. This is not only because of the plans to legislate the oft-talked about "override proposal" [neutralizing the Supreme Court's ability to overrule and invalidate duly-legislated Knesset laws], or to divide the position of the government's Legal Counsel into two parts – but also because of other matters that outgoing Justice Minister Gidon Saar was unable or unwilling to take care of. Here are six of them.
by Assaf Mishnayot, Besheva, translated by Hillel Fendel
With the polls showing that Israelis are still about equally divided as they head to seek to choose their next government, here are the various scenarios that Israel could face following next week's elections
by Hillel Fendel
A gas agreement between Lebanon and Israel is apparently about to be signed, and so we must ask: How bad or good is it for Israel? Middle East expert Dr. Guy Bechor weighs in with an exclusive analysis of the deal governing hydrocarbon deposits in the waters claimed by each of the two countries. His widely-accepted conclusions show that Israel has made some very dangerous concessions, to say the least.
by Hillel Fendel
It was Besheva that broke the story, just over two weeks ago, of the 3rd-grade pupil in a public-religious school class who had presented herself as a boy throughout 1st and 2nd grades. When her classmates and their parents discovered the truth at the end of last year, anger and resentment were great at the teachers and Education Ministry staffers who knew the truth but hid it.
By Emmanuel Shilo, translated by Hillel Fendel
Netanyahu succeeded in combining the two strongest religious-Zionist parties, and then managed to persuade much-smaller Noam to join as well. But there is still the issue of the amateurishly risky run by the combination of Ayelet Shaked and the remnants of the Jewish Home – liable to cost the nationalist camp up to three Knesset seats, leaving the government in left-center-Arab hands.
by Hillel Fendel
Yesha's New School-Year Stats – and National Politics
.jpeg "Starting the school year in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley")
Those of you who think, or know someone who thinks, that the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha) are a mere asterisk in the larger scheme of the populations of Israel and the Middle East, spread the word: Nearly a quarter of a million children living in Judea, the Jordan Valley, and Samaria began school this year!
Specifically, 86,000 children are enrolled in – get this – 270 elementary schools! There are also 35,000 pupils in some 200 post-elementary schools, and a host more in kindergartens, Talmudei Torah, yeshivot, and more!
Beautiful numbers like these don't just happen on their own. We can barely imagine the amount of idealism and effort and self-sacrifice over the course of decades, under severely difficult economic and security conditions, that has gone into the Yesha enterprise.
Their Parents
But while the students have a relatively comfortable time at school, their parents are not doing as well electorally, in light of the national elections only two months away.
The Bet El IDF Prep Academy started the year with much excitement and anticipation. This year the Academy reached maximum capacity, with not one bed left to spare! Shana Aleph (Year 1) enrolled 50 new students, and Shana Bet (Year 2) has 40 returning students. 80 Academy graduates are currently serving in the IDF, and
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Originally published by the Yesha Council, myesha.org.il, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel
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In just three more weeks, the Bnei Tzvi Boys High School will have a brand new additional wing of 8 classrooms as well as additional multi-purpose rooms - just in time for the new school year!
At the Bet El Yeshiva of Higher learning, it was decided to plan an additional floor above the existing dormitories, which will enlarge the cafeteria by about 200 sq. m. (about 2,150 sq. ft.). We will begin building this floor in the coming days!
by Dr. Guy Bechor, gplanet.co.il, translated by Hillel Fendel
In this translation of a short video, political analyst Dr. Guy Bechor emphasizes that a Palestinian state is an existential threat to Israel.
by Sivan Rahav-Meir, originally published in inn.co.il, translated by Hillel Fendel
10% Discount to Fix Sin of the Spies
Bet El Institutions is working hard at the never-ending job of building the Land of Israel! Check out the updated pics of the new Bet El IDF Prep Academy campus and the new classrooms building at the Bnei Tzvi High School for Boys.
by Hillel Fendel
Free-for-all time in Israeli politics! Sunday's merger between Benny Gantz's Blue-and-White party and Gidon Sa'ar's New Hope party, in time for the national elections to be held in Israel on Nov. 1, signals new alliances - as well as new political targets for those that have been left out.
by Assaf Mishnayot and Hillel Fendel
Following a week's worth of doubts, it now appears nearly absolutely, certainly, 100% sure – almost – that a new government will not be formed in the current Knesset. Instead, general elections will be held in late October or early November, after the High Holidays and Sukkot.
In Israeli politics, of course, the only real certainty is that we can never actually know what will happen. Despite continued rushed efforts to find 61 MKs who will agree to band together in a new coalition headed by either Binyamin Netanyahu and/or the leader of a different party in rotation, it now truly seems that no such combination will be found before Wednesday night, at which time the final vote will be held to dissolve the Knesset.
The last month was a busy one in Israel, and the Bet El IDF Prep Academy was no exception! Cadets celebrated Lag B'Omer with a bonfire outside their temporary trailers (until the new campus is ready!), went on a bicycle trip in the hills of Binyamin, celebrated Yom Yerushalayim in the Old City, enjoyed the visit of several Rabbis, completed an army drill on the beach throughout the night, and spent the entire night of Shavuot performing the "Tikun leil Shavuot" with the entire student body and staff at the Academy. See pictures of all these activities below!
by Hillel Fendel, based on an article published in gplanet.co.il
As Lebanon and Hizbullah make threatening, jealous noises, Egyptians cheer the largest drilling ship to ever pass through the Suez Canal – on its way to Israel's off-shore Karish oil fields northwest of Haifa.
by Dr. Guy Bechor, www.gplanet.co.il, translated by Hillel Fendel
Better a decade late than never: Final approval for the Jerusalem Old City Cable Car was received this week when the Supreme Court rejected the various objections submitted by left-wing organizations. It was in May 2013 - nine years ago - that we first reported that the project was approved and expected to be ready in two years' time…
The Bnei Zvi Boys High School has brought in so many students that it needed to create additional dormitories (completed last year) and eight new classrooms! The frame has already been completed and we are now starting the final works.
The Yeshiva of Higher Learning has also grown immensely in recent years and, now that we have completed the new apartment building for married students, we are refocusing our energies towards expanding the cafeteria. We are adding 150 meters (approx. 1615 sq. ft.) and we've already begun the work of setting the foundation.
by Hagit Rosenbaum, Besheva, translated by Hillel Fendel
It was 40 years ago; the Israeli city of Yamit and neighboring communities in the northwestern Sinai Desert were in the final stages of being destroyed so that they could be handed over to Egypt in honor of the Camp David peace agreements. This was the first time that Israel had destroyed Jewish towns for such a purpose.
In honor of Yom HaZikaron, the Bet El IDF Prep Academy held a discussion this morning with Yom Kippur War hero and former Member of Knesset Yaakov "Ketzaleh" Katz.
Tonight, the students held a special ceremony in memory of our brave soldiers who gave their lives to defend the Land of Israel and its citizens.
Rav Yair Rosenthal, the Academy's Head Administrator, reading "K'El Maleh"
Student leading recitation of Tehillim
Student lighting Yizkor candle
Students, staff, and administration standing in respect
Display at the ceremony including yizkor candles in the shape of a Magen David, a sign memorializing soldiers who gave their lives for Israel, and Israeli flags.
The short videos below include some of the songs recited at the ceremony
Bet El IDF Prep Academy Yom HaZikaron Service 5782 (Vocals and guitar)
Bet El IDF Prep Academy Yom HaZikaron Service 5782 (Ani Ma'amin)
Bet El IDF Prep Academy Yom HaZikaron Service 5782 (HaTikvah)
