Arlene Kushner | September 30, 2026
Binyamin region.org
I write during the intermediate days – chol hamoed – of Sukkot. Mindful of the gladness this holiday brings us, and the commandments to be joyful, I will focus here primarily on good news.
On Sunday I had a private tour of an area in western Binyamin. Binyamin is a mountainous region that begins north of the hills of Jerusalem, reaching to Samaria at its north (not identified on this map) and the Jordan valley to its east. To its south lies Gush Etzion. The municipality of Modi’in is to its west.
A mateh is a regional council. What shows on the map above as Mateh Yehuda is the Jerusalem District of Israel, with the municipality of Jerusalem on its far eastern side. Enclosed within the green line on the map is what is commonly referred to as “Judea & Samaria.” But as we can see, the region is actually geographically complex.
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Binyamin is a mountainous and very scenic area, with underground aquifers that provide a number of springs, some used for bathing.
What I visited were a handful of communities and a farm. A couple of them were solidly established but expanding. Others were very small, each with intention of growing. In seeing them, I felt uplifted: here was the clear evidence that there are committed young families opting to contribute to the strengthening of Jewish life in the area. I am in awe of these young families and buoyed by what their Zionist spirit promises for the future of Israel.
Unfortunately, it was not all joy. For this area is prone to Arab terrorist attacks. To reach Binyamin, I had travelled along route 443, and through the very checkpoint outside of Modi’in where Neria Leiter was very seriously rammed on Sunday. And it was at a spring in Neve Tzuf – not terribly far from where I went, that Netanel Shukrun was shot dead by a terrorist immediately before Yom Kippur. I was mindful of all of this, so that my joy was qualified.
We must remember what has happened, praying for Neria Leiter’s full recovery. And we must hold fast to the belief that Binyamin can and will become a place of flourishing Jewish communities where peace reigns.
The answer is not to run from terrorism, which is what our enemies want, but to defeat it with peaceful settlement. The joy rises from knowing we have young people who are dedicated to this and who work to make it all a reality.
On a connected note:
Israel has launched an initiative called “Biblical Trails in Judea and Samaria”—a large-scale regional tourism program aimed at enabling visitors to learn about the historical and biblical heritage associated with a given site.
Just last week, its first project was unveiled: The “Joshua Trail,” which offers a promenade and a suspension bridge connecting the Elon Moreh Heritage Center with the summit of the Mount Kabir Nature Reserve.
At the inauguration ceremony in Elon Moreh, Tourism Minister Haim Katz spoke:
“In Samaria, the story is found on the ground, in the places where the events that shaped our history took place.
“Developing tourism is part of building the country. Every trail we develop and every site we make accessible connects more people to the area, strengthens settlement and generates growth. Samaria can and should become Israel’s Tuscany. It has landscapes, vineyards, wineries, history and heritage that cannot be found anywhere else.”
Right on! This indeed IS our biblical and historical heritage. As visitors come and learn, we are strengthened: The Arab claim that this is their land is defeated by the facts.
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As I reported in my last post, in spite of the fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trip to the UN to deliver his address was exceedingly brief, he did have an opportunity to meet with diplomats and leaders from several nations. These meetings took place before he spoke.
I pointed out then that we are not alone, although it often feels as if this is the case. Israel has a great deal to offer, in terms of intelligence, technology, medical advancement, agricultural know-how, and more – and many nations not only recognize this, they seek a connection with us.
I had just written this when an interview of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar appeared in the JPost; he spoke about his conviction that the diplomatic work he has been doing is a component of national security along with military action.
For two years he has been working quietly on bringing national embassies to Jerusalem and has some notable successes. In October, Columbia will be opening its embassy in Jerusalem, and Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached an understanding with Israel that it will be opening its embassy in Jerusalem, but no date has yet been set.
Sa’ar sees diplomatic recognition as a battle over narratives: “The struggle for our rights is narrative against narrative. Is Jerusalem the ancient capital of the Jewish people, which was never the capital of any other people or state? Or is it something else, which, at best, needs to be divided?” (Emphasis added)
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-909628
Sa’ar’s approach provides a signal lesson in the importance of the quiet work that goes on behind closed doors and out of public view. To assess our situation solely in terms of hostile statements and potential threats is short-sighted.
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Just last week, US Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker met in New York with senior officials from the members of the Abraham Accords, Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Kazakhstan. The meeting was convened by the N7 Foundation and its chairman and founder Jeffrey Talpins.
The stated goals are to deepen regional cooperation and expand the normalization framework.
None of the members of the accords have withdrawn since October 7, a fact of more than a little significance. In fact Kazakhstan, which has had full diplomatic ties with Israel since 1992, formally joined the Accords almost a year ago – the first nation in central Asia to do so.
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This past Sunday, Netanyahu made a secret visit to the UAE, at the invitation of UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi.
Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Morocco were present. Israel expressed a willingness to provide assistance with regard to intelligence and air defense systems, similar to what was provided to the to the UAE during the war with Iran.
The presence of the Saudis at this meeting has high significance. They have been entirely passive in their response to Iran and to the Houthis. But now, says JNS military analyst Yaakov Lappin, the situation “has pushed Riyadh into an unprecedented posture of potential quiet dependence on Israeli intelligence.”
https://www.jns.org/analysis/saudi-arabias-request-for-help-from-israel-is-an-opportunity
The Saudis do engage in very “discreet” interactions with Israel. This may be the time to push for some acknowledgement on their part of their relationship with Israel, even as they will not cooperate on full normalization.
Says Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, “Israel should only extend support to Saudi Arabia if Riyadh publicly asks Jerusalem and publicly recognizes Israel’s participation and help… Secret and behind-the-scenes requests and gratitude should not be enough.” (Emphasis added here and above)
Another observer of the situation cited by Lappin says:
“The cards have been redistributed in the Middle East, all of them, and now Israel’s position, its hand is a strong hand, it has quite a few cards in it, it’s a process of trying to extract them.”
I had hoped to discuss Netanyahu’s talk at the UN but at this point instead want to recommend an excellent discussion on his talk held between Ruthie Blum and Mark Regev on their JNS podcast, “Undiplomatic.”
This Shabbat here in Israel we celebrate Simchat Torah (outside of Israel it comes a day later). It is also a time of rejoicing, at this time rejoicing in the Torah – a moment when the annual reading of the Torah is completed and begins again.
But… three years ago, October 7, the day of the massacre, fell on Simchat Torah. It will be October 3 on Shabbat, but the association is not with the specific date so much as with the holiday. It is likely it always will be. We will dance with the Torah and have moments of true joy. And we will remember and wonder how to cope with it all at the same time.
This is life in Israel. May the Almighty give us strength and wisdom, and bring us to a place of peace.
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Please, pray for Israel.
©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
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