Current sectionIsrael NewsShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeBeit Shemesh Credit: Emil SalmanExcessive construction has turned Beit Shemesh into a real estate monster. It's on track to become Israel's second-largest city with an overwhelming Haredi majority, pushing non-Haredi Jewish residents into isolation – or outTali Heruti-Sover01:20 PM • August 03 2026 IDTD., a religious Zionist who has lived in Beit Shemesh for decades, agrees to speak with us only anonymously. He is not the only one: many Beit Shemesh residents refused to speak on the record, and for good reason – why should they spark attention from extremists in a city that is becoming a powder keg and repeatedly making headlines for unflattering reasons? Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israel real estateHaredim Israel economyCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesGaza Board of PeaceElbit-UAEIsrael KatzCeuta Michigan PrimaryElection PollsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIsraeli Settler Leaders Laud IDF W. Bank Chief After Minister Ousts Him on TVEmigration From Israel Remained at a Record High in 2025, Study FindsNetanyahu's Defense Minister Just Picked His Biggest Fight Yet With the IDFGame Changer? What if This Jewish Lawmaker Joins an Israeli Arab PartyHow Israel's Elbit Armed the United Arab EmiratesRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThis Israeli ultra-Orthodox Feminist Activist Has a Warning for U.S. JewsNetanyahu Says Israel Has 'Special Forces' Ready if He's Arrested on NY VisitTwo Female Israeli Soldiers Die by Suicide as IDF Mental Health Crisis DeepensDozens of IDF Soldiers Desert Sde Teiman Base in Protest of Commander'I Tried, I Got Crushed by AIPAC': Andy Levin Is All-in for El-SayedTrump's Irritation, Netanyahu's Desperation: Oval Office Smiles Mask Rifts