'#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/firefighters-battling-new-blaze-thats-threatening-city-of-beit-shemesh\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=VV6I6hHeDYvQIa0eg0i1Ujz2q6pTPLHwwT5jMflFDwc-1746527143-1.0.1.1-dboPcrNnaMZ2tl2Prjv6iMscBslqf2RQjhzg6KNuIFU" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}()); You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Multiple brush fires that erupted Wednesday amid soaring temperatures and high winds forced the evacuation of residents from Eshtaol Beit Meir and Mesilat Zion in the Beit Shemesh area police and Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority reported Flames initially broke out near Moshav Tarum and were driven northward by strong gusts and motorists abandoned vehicles as smoke blanketed Jerusalem Some 110 FRA squads from six regional districts The Israel Meteorological Service had warned of “extreme” weather conditions ahead of the outbreak The Home Front Command assisted in civilian evacuations while police scanned for hikers in threatened areas שריפה בשטח פתוח ליד כביש 44 באזור תרום שבמועצה האזורית מטה יהודה. הכביש חסום לתנועת כלי רכב בשני הכיוונים בעקבות שריפה. במקום פועלים שבעה צוותי כיבוי, 14 צוותים נוספים בדרכם. כמו כן, פועלים בזירה שני מטוסי כיבוי ושני מטוסים בדרכם לסיוע מהאוויר@HGoldich @VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/e3255E7kY6 — כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 23, 2025 Nine people—seven firefighters and two civilians—sustained light injuries A second fire near Rehovot forced the closure of Route 6; train services were also halted as flames neared tracks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the ad-hoc command center to receive updates on containment efforts Authorities urged the public to stay clear of affected zones and exercise extreme caution A July 2024 state comptroller’s report criticized the FRA for investigating only a fraction of fires warning that climate-driven extreme summers are likely to make such wildfires more frequent and severe Foreign residents are continuing to buy Israeli apartments in group purchases Rotem Shani Development and Investment (TASE: RTSN) yesterday reported that it has begun marketing its latest project in Beit Shemesh and begun its presale campaign by selling 64 apartments to a buyers group of modern haredi Jews based in New York and New Jersey The Savion project in Beit Shemesh is an urban renewal project in what is called the 'Eden Area' covering 22 dunams (5.5 acres) on which 542 apartments will be built of which 469 are being marketed with the remainder allocated to homeowners whose apartments were demolished to make way for the new project The project consists of three 26-floor buildings and two nine-floor buildings as well as commercial space and public buildings The project has received demolition and earthworks permits and the company is in the process of obtaining building permits the company has signed binding sales contracts with 49 buyers while an additional 15 apartments are being registered for sale The average price per square meter of the apartments is NIS 23,200 (including VAT) and four-room apartments are being sold for NIS 24,500 per square meter (including VAT) This is a significant number of apartments to be sold at once to a group of US Jewish foreign-resident buyers According to Rotem Shani's reports for the second quarter of 2024 the company sold during the first half and after the balance sheet date a total of 60 housing units of which 27 housing units were in the first quarter of the year and 15 housing units in the second quarter and after the balance sheet date 15 apartments were sold and three apartments in the project are in the process of being registered as sold A rise in apartment purchases by foreign residents "Globes" recently reported about the rise in group purchases of homes in Israel by Diaspora Jewish communities For example a group of Iranian Jewish buyers purchased 42 apartments in Kiryat Ono for NIS 190 million The Savion project in Beit Shemesh is being developed jointly by Rotem Shani and M.Y.D.R Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on September 30 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. Israel asked Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy and Croatia to help extinguish major wildfires that broke out Wednesday morning in several locations near Jerusalem and along Highway 1 leading to the city as communities along the road were instructed to evacuate.  At least one man suspected of involvement in igniting the fires was arrested which reported that the suspect is now detained at the Oz police station in east Jerusalem Israel police did not confirm or give any details on what started the fires reported Wednesday that it was too early in the investigation to determine whether the fires broke out due to arson on nationalist grounds The Shin Bet is involved in the investigation Foreign Minister Gideon Saar asked his counterparts in the four countries to send firefighting airplanes and helicopters to Israel Ynet reported that Greece and Italy are sending supertankers and that the Palestinian Authority offered to send firefighters though Israel has not yet responded to the offer International aid is expected to arrive Thursday morning Mesilat Zion and Nachshon were evacuated on Wednesday along with the military memorial site in Latrun interrupting a ceremony held there for Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers The ancient Latrun monastery nearby was also evacuated Dozens of vehicles were trapped on Highway 1 forcing their drivers to abandon them and escape on foot as the route was blocked by fire and smoke Dozens of people have so far been hospitalized for smoke inhalation This was the second time in a week that large fires have broken out on the outskirts of Jerusalem Both fires broke out against the backdrop of extreme heat waves Israel’s meteorology service said Wednesday afternoon that strong winds are also expected on Thursday A total of 120 firefighting teams are battling the flames with the military called in to assist evacuation efforts The national ceremony marking the start of Israel’s Independence Day A pre-recorded ceremony will be broadcast instead Several cities also canceled public celebrations for Independence Day planned for Wednesday night due to the fires Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said a National Security Council meeting was held Wednesday afternoon to advance international assistance and that three advanced firefighting Canadair aircraft will arrive as soon as possible from Italy and Croatia Fire chief Eyal Caspi said Wednesday evening "We are concentrating powerful ground firefighting forces There is a significant problem because the firefighting aircrafts cannot work due to the weather conditions." He went on "The fire is expected to continue into the night the winds are problematic and the humidity is low This is one of the largest fires there has been [in Israel] certainly in the last decade." He also said that firefighters and police managed to rescue dozens of people trapped on buses and vehicles on Highway 1 the main artery connecting Tel Aviv to Jerusalem This developing story has been updated since initial publication For subscription inquiries, please contact subscription.support@al-monitor.com For all other inquiries, please use contactus@al-monitor.com "\/liveblog_entry\/large-blaze-erupts-near-route-6-in-central-israel-police-preparing-for-possible-evacuation-of-nearby-homes\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=orxeQAUDQn4KtRkYApTjFtYdMzKW3vr.XrKOHE6gmLU-1746527162-1.0.1.1-7Lu_34jrmOMWRBgPXs0nVa8krtENBskhk8WHMgCNL2Y" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null When FIMI Opportunity Funds bought control of Bet Shemesh Engines (TASE: BSEN) in 2016 it’s doubtful whether anyone there imagined such success: a fourfold return on the investment in the veteran industrial enterprise founded more than fifty years ago The return is outstanding even by the standards of the private equity firm headed by Ishay Davidi (although it has had similar successes in the past FIMI bought the controlling stake in Bet Shemesh Engines from Len Blavatnik’s Clal Industries and the company’s former CEO Avner Shaham FIMI sold part of its stake in the company which produces and refurbishes aero engine parts taking advantage of a more than 170% rise in its share price in the past year FIMI sold 10% of Bet Shemesh engines to Clal Insurance representing a discount of 11% on the market price The sale represents over a quarter of FIMI’s holding in Bet Shemesh Engines FIMI previously realized part of its holding in the company in 2019 for NIS 100 million FIMI Opportunity Funds was founded in 1996 The firm has made about 70 exits over the years and Bet Shemesh Engines is certainly one of the most impressive FIMI invested some NIS 200 million in buying a controlling stake in Bet Shemesh Engines it has realized shares to the tune of NIS 350 million It continues to hold shares with a market value of NIS 500 million with Bet Shemesh Engines having a market cap of some NIS 2 billion which means that its total gain on its investment is some NIS 650 million Bet Shemesh Engines today is a different company from what it was in 2016 Shortly after buying its initial stake in the company considered number two in the firm to Davidi The company underwent a streamlining program and a process of strategic thinking on how it should develop Bet Shemesh Engines began to invest tens of millions of dollars in defense technology and engineering A market source told "Globes": "The demands in aviation and space are the highest there are and not many companies are capable of manufacturing these complicated parts like Bet Shemesh Engines and it works with the biggest companies in the world in the industry you become a partner in the development itself The strategy was also evident in the fact that the company reported a contract for the development and production of jet engines but the company has received orders worth $75 million in connection with the new engine it is developing and it expects further orders amounting to as much as NIS 1 billion Bet Shemesh Engines’ business expanded rapidly In its recently released financials for the second quarter of 2024 it recorded sales revenue of $62 million for a single quarter The rapid growth is partly attributable to the acquisition of Carmel Forge in 2018 for $58.5 million Carmel Forge supplies raw materials to Bet Shemesh Engines the latter’s revenue doubled within a year Bet Shemesh Engines recorded revenue of $210 million and at the current rate revenue is running at $250 million annually The company’s framework agreements have also grown during the FIMI years "When a large overseas customer signs a contract for five and even ten years amounting to $250-300 million he has to be sure that Bet Shemesh Engines will deliver on time and with all the requirements," the market source says and under the FIMI umbrella confidence in the company has been created." Bet Shemesh Engines’ net profit was $4.7 million but that was mainly thanks to the sale of land adjacent to the engines factory in Bet Shemesh to Migdal Insurance for NIS 320 million giving a $16 million profit for the first half year more than three times the profit for the corresponding period of 2023 "This is a company with a good business in civil and military aviation," the source says and it will therefore probably continue to benefit from global demand and from the strong following wind in both areas." Among Bet Shemesh Engines’ customers are huge companies like Pratt & Whitney 71% of its revenue came from the civil market and the rest from the military market Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 22 "\/liveblog_entry\/firefighters-battling-blaze-in-jerusalem-hills-close-to-bet-shemesh\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=pk2vBomhR9tEldANV0_tJxDylu0hM4FNuw29ufu9k8s-1746527171-1.0.1.1-l_5XJBubdvIhzowsupmXdHCShF5YY8Mun3vyIMlJC9Y" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/further-debris-from-houthi-missile-found-in-beit-shemesh\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=NaQECOx_Tech_FLxetF5F02Jx5BXbXXD8hbseyGRtUc-1746527173-1.0.1.1-80fYUE.ntacbW1DaFakvRDhOmvlpdZAUQNbDDccVfKo" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/i-cannot-walk-freely-in-my-city-says-beit-shemesh-mayor-after-assault-by-haredi-mob\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=S7.1KnauSMahV90zd8AR_lA446cBTmwy7LMj8Ope9.s-1746527177-1.0.1.1-IQAGLzWUF_BY_YZ47mnDBBnCE4nb_3z.v4IDt_TM_NE" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/shrapnel-from-intercepted-houthi-missile-lands-in-beit-shemesh\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=5KuylzDrS8F7q1kIP1ICzF5gjZITr0mii1JXsnkuJOs-1746527179-1.0.1.1-ECdiyI5uhQs4UTJwcWOAFhMmy8uOmGbXIU0m9_QmYrc" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/jerusalem-hills-blaze-sparked-by-fragments-of-interceptor-missile-police-say\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=5G3LlV1bQffBMet_lkkOlpHeRim1Kgf2ACwmeRBiIPw-1746527180-1.0.1.1-Thhy5Hvan0syT2GOWnd8d2DjxpRlEDaytKgjD5xCI7s" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null High heat and strong winds have allowed the fires in wooded areas to spread quickly BET SHEMESH: Thick plumes of smoke billowed above highways near Jerusalem on Wednesday as firefighters rushed to control wildfires that have injured several people and prompted Defence Minister Israel Katz to declare the situation a "national emergency".  Israel's Magen David Adom rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were at risk from the worst brushfires in years with Katz ordering troops to deploy to support firefighters MDA said it had provided treatment to around 23 people the majority suffering from smoke inhalation and burns Among them were two pregnant women and two children less than a year old It said the alert level had been raised to the highest tier and all available forces must be mobilised to save lives and bring the fires under control," Katz said in a statement from his ministry Police closed the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and evacuated residents along the route as brushfires broke out again in an area ravaged by blazes a week ago Communities home to thousands of people have been cleared out "Our aircraft can't do anything right now due to the weather conditions.. Our goal is to save lives," fire chief Eyal Caspi said at a televised press conference "We are apparently facing the largest fire in Israel in a decade." The police said on X that they had deployed in force around Route 1 and the Jerusalem Hills asking the public to "avoid travelling to the area" An AFP journalist at the scene earlier on Wednesday said the blaze was sweeping through wooded areas near the main road between Latrun and Bet Shemesh and that helicopters were working to extinguish the flames said his daughters had been evacuated from school Soldiers arrived on the scene mid-afternoon with many drivers abandoning their vehicles and fleeing as huge clouds of dark smoke billowed from the fire Communities located about 30 kilometres (19 miles) west of Jerusalem were evacuated airing images of firefighting teams battling fierce flames National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hinted that arson could be behind the fires as police said they had arrested a resident of east Jerusalem who was caught "attempting to set fire to a field in the southern part of the city" But there was no official declaration directly linking the two Ben Gvir said police would arrest anyone "involved in arson terror" MDA said ambulance teams had been positioned near communities close to the fires and were ready to provide medical treatment and assist residents A motorcycle unit was ready to offer medical assistance to citizens stuck in heavy traffic High temperatures and strong winds have allowed the fires in wooded areas to spread quickly prompting evacuations from at least five communities which is prone to wildfires at this time of year he said work was being done to bring more assistance to the affected areas and evacuate stranded civilians The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted nearby countries including Greece Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said three aircraft would arrive soon from Italy and Croatia to help fight the fires Ben Gvir said he had instructed organisers to cancel any evening events tied to Thursday's Independence Day celebrations that would have required the presence of firefighters "The decision is aimed at reallocating forces to deal with the fire strengthening firefighting units in the Jerusalem district and preparing for the worsening weather conditions according to forecasts," a statement said Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox Israel brings fire near Jerusalem 'under control' Israeli minister sparks outcry with visit to Al Aqsa Israel approves new bypass road in occupied West Bank "\/liveblog_entry\/no-major-damage-as-apparent-yemen-missile-debris-crashes-in-beit-shemesh\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=cC7ExEdYWIyEctkpjjzAWUL9CL2kW4h2JiaoEbRzEOQ-1746527207-1.0.1.1-2fgT6_ygH9d_nGsl9lsnZfg24w4BhTrtOQOXR3WbhW0" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null A helicopter is deployed in the firefight near the central Israeli town of Bet Shemesh People are evacuated on a recovery vehicle at a highway during a forest fire Flames engulf trees during a forest fire near the central Israeli town of Beit Shemesh Flames engulf vegetation during a forest fire along a highway near Bet Shemesh Jerusalem seen as a cloud of smoke rises from a large forest fire on the outskirts of the city Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday that rapidly spreading wildfires near Jerusalem could reach the city as he declared the situation a 'national emergency' as he declared the situation a "national emergency" Thick smoke billowed above highways near Jerusalem as firefighters rushed to control wildfires that have injured several people and prompted the military to deploy troops to help Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Breaking news and news alerts as they happen Weekly headlines from the Florida Keys Free Press Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Israeli private equity firm FIMI Opportunity Funds, led by founder and CEO Ishay Davidi, has taken advantage in the upward momentum in the share price of TAT Technologies (TASE: TATT; Nasdaq: TATT) to sell a 25% stake for Nis 129 million TAT's share price has doubled over the past year FIMI reduces its stake in TAT from 51.8% to 26.8% Sources tell "Globes" that the share were purchased by Israeli institutional investors More TAT Technologies provides environmental control products and services for the commercial and military aviation industries FIMI first invested in TAT in 2004 buying shares for $8 million and selling them to KMN Holdings for $40 million in 2007 the receiver held an auction for the 53.7% controlling stake in TAT which FIMI won for NIS 125 million - one third of the price at which it had sold shares to KMN in 2007 FIMI invested a further $39 million (NIS 140 million) to increase its stake in TAT FIMI will still hold shares in TAT worth NIS 170 million which together with dividends means it has seen returns of 120% on its investment Several weeks ago FIMI sold shares in Bet Shemesh Engines (TASE: BSEN) for a huge profit which manufactures and refurbishes aero engine parts TAT is also holding a private placement for institutional investors at a similar price of NIS 54.95 per share at which FIMI sold its shares reflecting an 11% discount on the market price TAT will raise NIS 37 million ($10.1 million) in the private placement Several months ago TAT raised a similar amount in a private placement when the share price was considerably lower at NIS 31.7 million GAAP net profit more than doubled to $4.7 million and exceeded GAAP net profit in all of 2023 Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on September 2 Among them were two pregnant women and two infants under a year old Speaking from near the city of Modiin as fires burnt on a nearby hillside said: "It's just very sad because we knew the weather we kind of knew that would happen and still we feel like they weren't ready enough with the big planes that can drop large amounts of water." Netanyahu warned that "the western wind can push the fire easily towards the outskirts of (Jerusalem) -- and even into the city itself" "We need to bring as many fire engines as possible and create firebreaks well beyond the current fire lines.. not just a local one," he added in a video statement "The priority right now is defending Jerusalem," he said Communities housing thousands of people have been cleared out The fire had already completely taken over the whole area here," student Yosef Aaron told AFP speaking on the side of a highway with flames visible in the distance Fire chief Eyal Caspi warned at a televised press conference that "our aircraft can't do anything right now due to the weather conditions.. "We are apparently facing the largest fire in Israel in a decade." The police said on X that they had deployed in force around the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and the Jerusalem Hills asking the public to "avoid travelling to the area" An AFP journalist at the scene earlier Wednesday said the blaze was sweeping through wooded areas near the main road between Latrun and Bet Shemesh with many drivers abandoning their vehicles to flee the fire Police said they had arrested a resident of east Jerusalem who was caught "attempting to set fire to a field in the southern part of the city" There was no official declaration directly linking the two Ben Gvir said police would arrest anyone "involved in arson terror" The foreign ministry has contacted nearby countries including Greece French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Israel and offered "material support" in a post on X Netanyahu's office said three aircraft would arrive soon from Italy and Croatia to help fight the fires "The decision is aimed at reallocating forces to deal with the fire.. and preparing for the worsening weather conditions according to forecasts," a statement said Get quarterly updates Check here to sign up Be a WNC insider with The Guide’s e-newsletter and you’ll always have plans  Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025A new long-range missile from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems combines artificial intelligence and decision-making algorithms. (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)JERUSALEM — Two Israeli companies announced last weekend the establishment of defense factories in the United States that are planned to produce jet and rocket engines for the U.S. military market. The first to announce the move was Israeli public company Bet Shemesh Engines, which specializes in the production of jet engines and their components for the civilian market. The firm is joining up with German company JetCat, which is already active in the military market. The joint plant will develop and produce small jet and rocket engines with “the goal to penetrate the U.S. military market in order to supply jet engines for small airborne platforms,” the Israeli company said. Bet Shemesh Engines and its German partner will also establish another subsidiary that will develop similar products for the Israeli defense market. The Israeli government company Rafael, meanwhile, announced a few hours later the establishment of a plant for solid-fuel rocket engines, which it will build in partnership with Kratos for $175 million. The plant is set to be headquartered on an approximate 500 acre site near U.S. Navy and Army facilities in Crane, Indiana, under the name Prometheus Energetics. Rafael is already known to the U.S. military and specializes in missiles. Some of Iron Dome and David’s Sling capabilities, for example, come from their solid-fuel engines. The jet and rocket engines from Rafael and Bet Shemesh are supposed to meet mainly a requirement for cruise missiles at a time when the U.S. Department of Defense is working to encourage competition in order to lower prices of military procurement. Bet Shemesh Engines and Rafael declined to elaborate on their plans. Correction: This article was updated on March 5 to correct a translation error in a statement by Bet Shemesh Engines about the scope of their product lineup. Tzally Greenberg is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has experience reporting on economic affairs as well as defense and cyber companies. Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feedDefense News © 2025 French supermarket chain Carrefour opened 50 branches throughout Israel yesterday In the first stage these outlets include three Hypermarket branches with stores of up to 4,000 square meters including in Beit Shemesh This branch and the one in Ra'anana were chosen for the official launch ceremonies attended by senior representatives of Carrefour and its Israeli franchisee Electra Consumer Products (TASE: ECP) with 70% of its population from the haredi community for its flagship store Looking at the data about the city provides a clear answer Beit Shemesh has been one of Israel's fastest growing cities in recent years and the city is expected to double in size in the coming decades Beit Shemesh was just another small town in the Jerusalem region For the previous 45 years the city had not managed to cross the threshold of 25,000 residents as the city nearly doubled its population to 45,000 the city had 65,000 residents even though Modi'in to the north was attracting many of Beit Shemesh's young couples Beit Shemesh crossed the 100,000 threshold and today the city is home to 157,000 residents - growth of 238% in less than 20 years The city continues to grow at an annual rate of 9.4% and according to the masterplan - yet to be approved - Beit Shemesh hopes to have 360,000 residents by 2040 At the rate that the city is growing this figure might have to be revised upwards Economic consulting firm Czamanski & Ben Shahar owner and CEO Tamir Ben Shahar says "Most of the budgets are allocated to haredi society and not to secular society and Beit Shemesh represents an alternative to Jerusalem." Plans for the expansion of the city are backed by actions on the ground Several new neighborhoods are currently under construction and being occupied Planning for two more new neighborhoods in the south of the city and in March 2021 the policy for the urban renewal of Beit Shemesh was approved which aims to add 10,000 new housing units to the 8,000 existing units in the old neighborhoods of the city and housing units has been steadily increasing over the years there were roughly 26,000 households in Beit Shemesh compared with 18,000 households in 2011 - an increase of 43% within a decade; There were 25,000 apartments in the city is The increase in the number of housing units over this period was the biggest among Israeli cities with a population of over 100,000 Most of Beit Shemesh's residents are young a figure that can also support plans for the city's future growth: 51.9% of the residents are children up to the age of 18 and only 4.9% are over 70 (compared to the national average of 14.7%) the largest age groups in the city are 0-5 years old the one that is already happening and the one that is expected is certainly a factor in Carrefour's choice to open a major branch in Beit Shemesh "Globes" found the consumer habits of the city's residents and the segmentation of monthly expenses proves that Beit Shemesh has great potential for a new retail player certainly one that offers significantly lower prices than those of rivals in the market Central Bureau of Statistics data are for 2019 provide a general picture of the city's residents consumer habits is the number of persons per household in Beit Shemesh 4.92 persons - a number that puts it in top place among all Israel's largest cities Such a number naturally translates into high household spending which are also reflected in the data: NIS 17,707 average monthly expenditure and at a similar level to Rehovot and Ramat Gan The average household expenditure on food in Beit Shemesh on is one of the highest among Israel's large cities - NIS 2,567 per month (a rate of about 14.5% of the monthly consumer spending) It should be noted that in 2017 food expenditure made up about 20% of monthly spending of the city's residents due to the increase in housing expenses out of total monthly spending The expenditure of Beit Shemesh residents on furniture and home equipment products that Carrefour also offers in its branches is the highest among the major cities: an average of NIS 828 per month a large part of the population has average and above socioeconomic characteristics It is ranked 63rd in the national ranking of cities according to investment per resident and while the national average is NIS 4,200 in the city net investment per resident is NIS 2,300." The average monthly salary in Beit Shemesh was NIS 9,659 in 2021 significantly lower than the national average of NIS 12,925 Another reason for Carrefour's decision to open a branch in Beit Shemesh relates to the city's strategic location While the city has become more haredi in recent years there are also many secular residents living to the north as well as huge commercial zones serving not only the city's residents but also the many surrounding kibbutzim and moshavim "The southern part is actually a separate city with more haredi commerce with each neighborhood having its own commercial center There is another center opposite them - the city gateway center- where there is a branch of Rami Levy and all of these serve the residents of Beit Shemesh and the residents of the moshavim and kibbutzim in Emek Elah All of them have a population with high socio-economic attributes it is an area characterized by high tourism chose Beit Shemesh not because it is the most suitable place but because it was a default choice The Jerusalem Municipality has not succeeded in developing land so they have all gone to the nearest location - Beit Shemesh." Beit Shemesh currently has branches of Rami Levy "The good news for Carrefour will be its ability to bring kosher products and increase the amount of products," concludes Ben Shahar the strictly kosher issue has a great significance on the consumer habits of the city's residents and only then in stores that are defined as 'secular' Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on May 10 "The Israel Police takes seriously the incident that took place this evening in Beit Shemesh it ordered an immediate investigation of its circumstances including the conduct of the command and the police officers who were involved in the incident." The police later announced that the officers seen attacking haredi civilians were suspended from operational duties it appears that the conduct of the officers in the incident does not align with what is expected of them as police officers and with the values of the Israel Police.""Accordingly the involved officers and commanders will be removed from operational duties until administrative measures are considered regarding them," the police concluded their announcement.Opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the "unforgivable footage of police brutality in Beit Shemesh," in a post on X on Monday evening.תמונות בלתי נסבלות ובלתי נסלחות של אלימות משטרתית בבית שמש התפרעות ואלימות המשטרה כנגד אזרחים שעולה מדרגה בחודשים לא מבחינה בין קבוצות מחאה שונות "\/liveblog_entry\/warning-sirens-sound-in-beit-shemesh-etzion-bloc-as-rockets-fired-toward-jlem-area\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=Gb067P68.rmh9GXDT6EHun7uNdOq8fGBRDHpX4KLgtU-1746527280-1.0.1.1-_A6i2nEOKf0xhRUx.29HE6BFSaoIxaftPL_e3S7EYpk" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null