State comptroller says Bnei Akiva is Israel’s largest youth movement

Israel’s state comptroller has issued a special report on youth movements in Israel and concluded, for the first time, that Bnei Akiva is now the country’s largest youth movement. According to the report, based on Education Ministry data and additional checks, Bnei Akiva has 85,402 members, about 24% of all youth movement participants in Israel.

The movement itself says its membership is even higher, at around 100,000. The comptroller also found that Bnei Akiva operates the highest number of branches in the country, with 430 branches spread across 140 local authorities. It said the movement’s geographic distribution is balanced and praised that nationwide spread.

Bnei Akiva Secretary General Yigal Klein said the findings did not surprise the organization. “The data presented by the state comptroller did not surprise us at all. Bnei Akiva has been in steady growth for years, and we see this in the branches, in registration for movement events, and more,” he said. He thanked the tens of thousands of parents who trust the movement and said he hopes it will continue educating another generation according to its values, for the sake of the Jewish people, Torah of Israel, and the Land of Israel.