by Hillel Fendel
Yeshivat Bet El
It was late autumn of 1977 (5738) when a group of pioneer students from Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem made its way to the mountains of Binyamin. Their goals were: to establish a new Jewish presence, to build a Yeshiva, and to make the desolate area bloom. Led by HaRav Zalman Baruch Melamed and Reb Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh), the group had the blessing and encouragement of Rav Tzvi Yehuda HaCohen Kook, of holy blessed memory.
by Hillel Fendel
What will Israel do in the event of a large-scale Russian invasion of, or attack on, the Ukraine? The question is not simple to answer, as Israel has good relations with both Russia and the United States – and certainly is not interested in tipping its hand too early.
At the weekly Cabinet meeting this Sunday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett instructed the Cabinet ministers not to comment publicly on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Despite this, at least two of them simply could not resist – giving a glimpse into both Israel's position vis-à-vis the war that might develop to our north, and the frailty of Bennett's coalition government.
Originally published in Arutz Sheva, translated by Hillel Fendel
The weekly BeSheva newspaper, a weekly Arutz Sheva publication (under the auspices of Bet El Institutions) distributed for free throughout Israel, has cemented its position as the country's 3rd-largest weekly journal. It registered nearly a 2% jump in readership in 2021, according to the TGI (Target Group Index) consumers-and-media analysis organization.
by Hillel Fendel
Great news for residents of Gush Etzion and all who use the southern entrances to Jerusalem: A second set of two tunnels and a new bridge are fast nearing completion on the highway between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion, meaning a huge improvement in traffic congestion.
by Hillel Fendel
The Knesset Health Committee held an important session this month on the topic of the lack of emergency women's care centers in Yesha (Judea and Samaria).
The session was initiated by Committee Chair MK Idit Silman (Yemina), who said she had received many complaints on the topic by Yesha residents. The session painted a torturous picture for pregnant women and others with related urgent conditions in Yesha.
The session was attended by women of Yesha who told their own difficult personal stories. One woman said she actually had to stop her fertility treatments because the long travel time from her home to the clinic in central Israel was simply too exhausting for her. Another woman related that she had been diagnosed with preeclampsia (a potentially fatal pregnancy complication), yet chose to forego medical care because of the difficult and long travel times.