Netanyahu denies request that annual Elul prayer be held in Gaza Strip, Minister Strock says
"We will not forget and cannot forget that Gaza is ours," Strock said at a prayer event near the Gaza border attended by prominent Gush Katif rabbis and members of the security cabinet.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a proposal by National Missions Minister Orit Strock for the annual Elul prayers to be conducted in the Gaza Strip. Strock unveiled the decision during a prayer event held at Kissufim Tower, commemorating the 21st anniversary of the burning of synagogues in Gush Katif. The minister's request had been submitted two weeks prior to a security cabinet meeting.
Although Netanyahu had given some thought to the matter, he ultimately declined the request, expressing regret over his decision. The appeal was presented as a letter signed by 20 prominent rabbis representing religious Zionism, who highlighted the significance of Elul as a time for fasting and prayer to commemorate the suffering endured in the Land of Israel.
Strock emphasized during the event that Gaza is a part of Israel, and the future Gaza will be built for the benefit of its rightful inhabitants, the citizens of Israel. The prayer event was led by Gush Katif rabbis Yaakov Midan and Yosef Elnakvah, along with members of the security cabinet, and served to mark a period of national repentance, as the organizers aimed to reconnect with the regions previously abandoned and neglected.
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