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Yeshivat Otniel is a hesder yeshiva located in Otniel, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is co-headed by the Rabbis Benni Kalmanzon and Re'em Ha'Cohen, who also serves as the settlement's rabbi.
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It began in 1987 as a kollel run by Rabbis Ami Ulami (killed by terrorists in 1994) and Kalmanzon. Over the next few years, it grew to be a full hesder yeshiva. Rabbi Re'em Ha'Cohen joined the yeshiva in 1993. It adheres to a Religious Zionism ("Dati Leumi") philosophy, with a strong emphasis on Hasidic thought and an encouragement of artistic expression.[ citation needed ]
On December 27, 2002, two Islamic Jihad terrorists infiltrated the yeshiva's dining room and killed four of the yeshiva's students.[ citation needed ]
On January 17, 2016, a Palestinian terrorist infiltrated the settlement and stabbed Dafne Meir, a woman living in the settlement, to death in her home leaving her six children behind.[ citation needed ]
Today, Yeshivat Otniel is one of the largest hesder yeshivas, with roughly 350 students.[ citation needed ]
