Full Breakdown
Netanyahu Rejects Prayer Request Inside Gaza
8/22/2026, 12:44:07 AM
Core Event
National Missions Minister Orit Strock announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied a request to hold the annual Elul rabbinical prayers inside the Gaza Strip. The request, submitted in a letter signed by 20 prominent rabbis from religious Zionism, was made two weeks after a security cabinet meeting. Strock said the prime minister “seriously considered this request” but ultimately gave a negative answer.
Background & Context
The prayer event took place at Kissufim Tower near Gaza and marked the 21st anniversary of the 2005 burning of synagogues in Gush Katif.
Key Figures
- Orit Strock – National Missions Minister, who conveyed the prime minister’s decision and read excerpts from the rabbis’ letter.
- Benjamin Netanyahu – Prime Minister of Israel, who considered and rejected the prayer-location request.
- Yaakov Midan and Yosef Elnakvah – Gush Katif rabbis who attended the ceremony.
Official Statements & Responses
According to Minister Strock, Netanyahu “seriously considered” the petition but “gave a negative answer.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “The prime minister seriously considered this request, but at the end of the day, to my great regret, he gave me a negative answer,” — Orit Strock, national missions minister
- “We will not forget and cannot forget that Gaza is ours,” — Orit Strock, national missions minister
