Jewish settlers have reestablished a Yeshiva in the illegally occupied West Bank. The school had previously been located in the Israeli settlement of Homesh, but was moved to nearby state-owned land.

The move, which was approved by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was done without permits and in violation of existing Israeli law. Tensions developed between the Israeli army and the government over the project, with the army ultimately caving to settler pressure.

“The Homesh affair reiterates the true balance of power within the government, which is controlled by the far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties,” writes Amos Harel in Haaretz. “The Homesh yeshiva’s relocation was essentially orchestrated by the head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, who was provided cover from the government by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.”

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