In the beginning of November, the Ministry of Education announced the closure of the Doresh Yechudecha Yeshiva in Yishuv Itamar, with senior ministry official Dr. Shimon Shoshani explaining he ordered the yeshiva shut down after receiving confidential information compelling his hand, refusing to reveal the details of this information.

The Knesset Education Committee addressed the ministry’s decision in a session today, Wednesday, November 16, 2011, and MK Alex Miller (Yisrael Beitenu) who chairs the committee stated he and his colleagues fail to see the justification for the school’s closure. Miller stated in his eyes, the decision reeks from political overtones.

Miller rejected Shoshani’s statements, warning of the danger of ordering the closure of a school based on political considerations which appears to be the case here. Ministry Director-General Dalit Stauber defended Shoshani’s decision, explaining they received information that students of the yeshiva have been involved in attacks against Arabs.

Yitzchak Baum, an attorney representing the yeshiva questioned why the yeshiva did not receive thirty-day notice prior to the closure as the law requires, adding he cannot possibly refute allegations since the ministry has yet to disclose the nature of the classified information. Baum concluded by stating he is certain that if the yeshiva was not located in Itamar, the closure order would never have been given.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)