Interview with Yedidya Solomon

10th year Bet El Yeshiva student and cancer survivor

On coping with hardship through emunah (faith)

 Yedidya Solomon is 28 years old and lives in Bet El with his wife. He has been learning at Bet El's Yeshiva of Higher Learning for 10 years and is almost finished completing a B.A. in Special Education. He works in education, consulting, and therapy.

[Interview conducted by Sharona eshet-Kohen]

Israel News Analysis: Growing Larger and Greater!

by Yaakov "Ketzaleh" Katz

[Based on an article that originally appeared in Hebrew in Arutz Sheva, and translated by Hillel Fendel]

449,297. That's the number of Jews who reside in Judea and Samaria, as of this past Dec. 31, according to Israel's Interior Ministry. Practically 450,000 - a 3.25% jump in one year, nearly twice the growth rate of Israel altogether. And it doesn't even include the 325,000 Jews living in the 24 new neighborhoods built in the parts of Jerusalem liberated in 1967, such as Ramot, Pisgat Ze'ev, Gilo, and more.

When the Israeli nation is in Exile, it becomes, most unfortunately, a blind people. Even the signs and wonders of Moshe Rabbeinu in Egypt made no impression on the leaders and the majority of the Israelites at the time. Today as well, after 140 years of settlement in the Land of Israel and 70 years of independence politically, militarily, and economically, there are still many too many Israeli political leaders and IDF generals who have not yet been cured of the diseases of these terrible 2,000 years of Exile. The worst sickness of them all is "Jewish Ghetto Disease."

Interview with Saeb Erekat on TV's "Conflict Zone"

PLO Secretary General/Chief Palestinian Authority Negotiator

We couldn't not show you this video. Tim Sebastian, host of "Conflict Zone" - a one-on-one interview show on Deutsche Welle's international English-language channel - interviews Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian Authority's Chief Negotiator, and hilarity ensues. And by hilarity, we mean the desperate (and failed) attempts of Erekat to adequately respond to even one of the several accusations of human rights abuses, corruption, and political impotency that Sebastian throws at him.

Click the 5 1/2 minute video below to make your day.

P.S. The best part is between 01:42-01:58

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

Israel News Analysis: Tumultuous election campaign ahead!

[Based on articles that originally appeared in Hebrew in Israel HaYom and Yeshemda, and translated by Hillel Fendel

Two major bombshells have hit the Israeli electoral arena over the last two weeks. Frankly, despite all the ink being spilled nationwide on analysis, no one really knows what to make of them. The nationalist-religious camp has been particularly taken by surprise.

First was the abrupt announcement of new national elections. A sample of the drama felt across the nation occurred in the middle of a special gathering of the Knesset's Land of Israel lobby dedicated to the Jewish Community of Hevron. All of a sudden, a hush came over the room – for everyone's cell phone had just received the same, unexpected message: The coalition heads had decided to dissolve the Knesset and hold new elections.

The surprise was not the very fact of the new elections, for everyone knew that what had become a narrow 61-MK government coalition had barely been hobbling along. But no one expected it to happen quite so quickly and suddenly. Everyone in the room – Knesset Members, reporters, and other conference participants – were equally taken by surprise.

Israel News Analysis: Another Warning Sign

The PA's Union of Public Works Committee

[Based on an article that originally appeared in Hebrew in Yeshemda and translated by Hillel Fendel]

Below is a shortened version of Yeshemda’s article. Click here to read the full article in English.