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Yesha Council

מועצת יש"ע
Named after	Yesha
Region	Judea and Samaria Area
Chairman	David Elhayani
CEO	Yigal Dilmoni
Affiliations	Amana
Website	www.myesha.org.il

The Yesha Council (Template:Lang-he, Mo'etzet Yesha, which is the Hebrew acronym for Yehuda Shomron, Aza, lit. "Judea Samaria and Gaza Council") is an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria (and formerly in Gaza), known by the Hebrew acronym Yesha.

History

The success of the Gush Emunim movement to repopulate those Jewish communities lost to Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israel War and the newly established communities through Judea, Samaria and Gaza promoted the residents to form their own lobby group. Originally called the Association for the Advancement of Population and Absorption in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, it was initiated by the Forum of Heads of Councils and held their first council meeting on December 24, 1980 where a twelve-person body and six committees were elected. One of the main founders was Israel Harel, a veteran of the Six Day War who participated in the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem. Harel was editor of Nekuda magazine, which the Yesha Council launched that year for decades.

Board Members

The Yesha Council consists of 24 democratically elected mayors and ten community leaders, representing municipalities with a combined population of around half a million. Its mandate is to assist Jewish settlements in every possible way. The council works to improve security by, for instance, arranging the acquisition of bullet-proof ambulances and buses. The council works with the Israeli government to provide roads, electricity, and water. The executive meets once in three weeks and conducts the council’s affairs. Until the implementation of the disengagement plan in 2005, the mayors of the authorities in the Gaza Strip were also members of Yesha Council. The chair of Yesha Council is elected in democratic elections by the members of the executive.

Since its inception, Yesha Council was funded in part by membership fees paid by the local authorities that are members in it. In 2004, Peace Now petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court against the use of the budgets of the local councils to fund the activities of Yesha Council to oppose the disengagement plan. The High Court of Justice issued an interim injunction prohibiting the transfer of funds from the authorities, but in 2006, it ultimately ruled that the transfer of funds is legal, and that Yesha Council’s main source of funding comes from the membership dues paid by the local authorities.

The Chairman of the Yesha Council is David Elhayani, elected in November 2019. Elhayani is the Head of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council and resident of Argaman. The CEO of the Yesha Council is Yigal Dilmoni, appointed in 2019, who previously served as deputy director of public relations.

The Department of Media and Public Diplomacy

Yesha Council’s Department of Media and Public Diplomacy addresses all matters related to the media and public relations of Yesha Council, prepares and distributes information newsletters, leads various campaigns and initiatives on behalf of the communities, is responsible for Yesha Council’s social media coverage and holds tours and lectures for opinion leaders in Israel and the world. Dorit Ostrovsky Schechter heads the department.

Foreign Relations Desk and Eastern European Desk

In 1992, Yesha Council established its Foreign Relations Desk (formerly Overseas Desk), headed by Yechiel Leiter until 1996. In 2013, the desk’s activities were resumed, headed by Dani Dayan until 2015. In 2016-2020, the desk was headed by Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi.

The Foreign Relations Desk deals mainly with international public diplomacy, hosting delegations and VIPs from abroad, writing articles and appearing in the international media. It participates in international conferences and gives lectures to decision-makers abroad.

In 2019, Yesha Council established an Eastern European desk, which focuses on Russian-speaking Israelis, with the aim of bringing them to visit in Judea and Samaria and bridge the gaps we have identified between Israel’s Russian-speaking population and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria. The desk is involved in Russian-language public diplomacy, tourism and the training of tour guides, holding conferences on the subject of Judea and Samaria and advertising in the Russian-language media in Israel. It has even launched an official Russian-language Yesha Council website. The desk is currently headed by Gush Etzion Regional Council chair Shlomo Ne’eman.

Campaigns

As the umbrella organization for the local authorities in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, the Yesha Council attends to issues that impact all the Jewish communities in a variety of areas such as law, policy, media, and infrastructure.

As a rule, the Yesha Council advocates collaborative activity with the national leadership to promote the welfare of the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, and expresses its opposition to government decisions that could harm this enterprise. Its resettlement policy was criticised by the Sason Report.

In 1980 the Yesha Council launched Nekudah Magazine, which lasted until 2010 when it merged with Makor Rishon.

In 1989 the Yesha Council raised funds to help Soviet Jews immigrate and find adequate housing.

IN 1993 the Yesha Council opposed the Oslo Accords.

In 2005 the Yeshiva Council led the protest campaign against the disengagement plan with peaceful mass protests: the human chain of 130,000, the Kfar Maimon marh of 50,000, the Kotel rally of 70,000, and the Tel Aviv rally of 200,000. The council was praised for refraining from the use of violence and criticized by those against the disengagement for failing to prevent it.

In 2013, a book was published entitled Judea and Samaria: It's Jewish, It's Vital, It's Realistic. It was printed as a special edition for the visit of US President Barack Obama to Israel.

In 2016, the Yesha Council launched a campaign to apply Israeli law to the city of Maaleh Adumim presenting a survey it conducted showing that 78% of Israel’s Jewish population favored such a move.

In 2017, the Yesha Council advocated to improve neglected transportation infrastructure. As a result, a budget was approved for the planning and construction of a number of roads, including the Hawara bypass road; the Al-Arub bypass road (Lev Yehuda Highway); the upgrading and widening of Highway 55 from Highway 6 to Highway 60; a new and elaborate Jerusalem-Kalandia entry road; the widening of Highway 437 in the area of the Hizme crossing and Highway 375 from Tzur Hadassah to the Hussan junction; the widening and adding of a public transportation lane on Highway 446 Shilat-Modiin and on Highway 505 Ariel-Tapuah Junction and more.

In 2018, the Yesha Council published a report critical of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), which served as an international observer force. The report, which accused TIPH of creating an anti-Israel atmosphere was part of the Israeli government's decision not to renew the mandate for TIPH.

In 2020, the Yesha Council opposed US President Donald Trump's "Plan of the Century."

In 2021 members of the Yesha Council met with Arab Muslims in Hebron for a kosher iftar ceremony and spoke to joint business ventures between Palestinian Authority entrepreneurs and Israelis.

Rejection of Violence

The council chairman Dani Dayan said that settlers must not use violence to advance their means. He said that such actions were "morally bankrupt" and only serve to "hinder the settlers' struggle."

Misplaced Pages editing course

This article may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. Please help improve it by rewriting it in a balanced fashion that contextualizes different points of view. (July 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

On 3 August 2010, it was reported that the Yesha Council together with My Israel, a network of online pro-Israel activists committed to spreading Zionism online, were organizing people at a workshop in Jerusalem to teach them how to edit Misplaced Pages articles in a pro-Israeli way. Around 50 people took part in the course.

"We don't want to change Misplaced Pages or turn it into a propaganda arm," commented Naftali Bennett, director of the Yesha Council. "We just want to show the other side. People think that Israelis are mean, evil people who only want to hurt Arabs all day." "The idea is not to make Misplaced Pages rightist but for it to include our point of view," he said in another interview.

The project organiser, Ayelet Shaked was interviewed on Arutz Sheva Radio. She emphasized that the information has to be reliable and meet Misplaced Pages rules. She cited some examples such as the use of the term "occupation" in Misplaced Pages entries, as well as in the editing of entries that link Israel with Judea and Samaria and Jewish history.

A course participant explained that the course is not a "Zionist conspiracy to take over Misplaced Pages"; rather, it is an attempt to balance information about disputed issues presented in the online encyclopedia.

he goal of this workshop was to train a number of pro-Israelis how to edit Misplaced Pages so that more people could present the Israeli side of things, and thus the content would be more balanced... Misplaced Pages is meant to be a fair and balanced source, and it is that way by having people from all across the spectrum contributing to the content.

Another participant was not positive about the publication of the initiative, warning that going public in past occasions has had a bad effect, and recommending that the initiative would be better taken underground.

Following the course announcement, the head of Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said there were plans to set up a counter group to ensure the Palestinian view is presented online as the "next regional war will be media war."

In 2011, Misplaced Pages co-founder Jimmy Wales stated in retrospect about the course organized by Israel Sheli, "we saw absolutely no impact from that effort whatsoever. I don't think it ever – it was in the press but we never saw any impact." Wales, who himself is a supporter of Israel, insists on neutrality when editing articles related to Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At a speech at Tel Aviv University when accepting his Dan David Prize in May 2015, Wales insisted to avoid conflicts of interest is to provide as many facts as possible while maintaining neutrality, aiming to overwhelm any chance of bias and imbuing political ideology. Wales also stated that editors have to present what all sides have said and ultimately leave it to the reader to make their own judgments and have their own opinions regarding the conflict.

Heads of the Yesha Council

See also

• Israeli Civil Administration
• Israeli settlement
• Judea and Samaria Area
• Population statistics for Israeli West Bank settlements

References

1. "Settlement Inaugurated on West Bank at Site of Ein Tzurim, Overrun in 1948". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 31 July 1969. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
2. Yishai, Yael (1987). Land or peace : whither Israel?. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press. p. 122. ISBN 0-8179-8521-2. OCLC 15084286.
3. "Behind the Headlines Jewish Settlers View Their Future". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 28 August 1984. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
4. Booth, William (24 May 2015). "As Jewish settlement turns 40, a founder looks ahead in the West Bank". Washington Post.
5. ^ "Israel's Settlers Resigned to Pact". Christian Science Monitor. 22 September 1993. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
6. "שאלת תם מה זה מועצת יש"ע? - וואלה! חדשות". וואלה! (in Hebrew). 18 July 2005. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
7. פורשר, אפרת. "המהפך הדמוגרפי של יהודה ושומרון". www.israelhayom.co.il. Retrieved 21 December 2021. בסך הכל מונה אוכלוסיית יש"ע בשנת 2019 463,901 תושבים אשר מתגוררים ב־150 יישובים.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
8. ^ "With wineries and tourism, settlers try to rebrand settlements for Israeli public". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
9. Court decision בבית המשפט העליון בשבתו כבית משפט גבוה לצדק
10. "יגאל דילמוני מונה למנכ"ל מועצת יש"ע". myesha.org.il. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
11. "דוברת מועצת יש"ע - דורית שכטר אוסטרובסקי". ערוץ 7 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 17 January 2022.
12. "Settler Leaders Develop Plan to Establish New Communities". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 15 July 1996. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
13. www.makorrishon.co.il https://www.makorrishon.co.il/nrg/online/1/ART2/807/933.html. Retrieved 17 January 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
14. "Summary of the Opinion Concerning Unauthorized Outposts-Talya Sason, Adv". www.mfa.gov.il. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
15. www.makorrishon.co.il https://www.makorrishon.co.il/nrg/online/11/ART2/676/841.html. Retrieved 17 January 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
16. "Jewish Settlers to Raise Own Funds for Absorption of Olim in Territories". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 29 November 1989. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
17. "CNN.com - Israel blocks buses carrying Gaza pullout opponents - Jul 18, 2005". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
18. "The Secret of its Strength: The Yesha Council and its Campaign Against the Security Fence and the Disengagement Plan". Israel Democracy Institute.
19. "Settlers, leftists plan rival welcomes for Obama". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
20. Algemeiner, The. "78 Percent of Israelis Favor Annexing Ma'ale Adumim, Survey Finds". Algemeiner.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
21. "2.3 מיליארד שקל: כבישי יו"ש משודרגים בתוכנית ענק". מקור ראשון (in Hebrew). 15 November 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
22. "תוכנית אב תחבורתית כוללת ליהודה ושומרון". GOV.IL (in Hebrew). Retrieved 17 January 2022.
23. Kimon, Elisha Ben (17 January 2019). "'Hebron observer mission deliberately creates friction'". Ynetnews. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
24. "המאבק ב-TIPH מגיע לכנסת: "יוזמים חיכוכים"". רדיו קול חי (in Hebrew). 28 October 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
25. Magid, Jacob. "Settler umbrella group protests Trump plan, but some mayors endorse it". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
26. "Settlers, Palestinians dream of joint Hebron hotel at kosher Iftar feast". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
27. "Yesha Council chair Dayan condemns recent settler violence". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
28. ^ Benari, Elad (3 August 2010). "Zionist Internet Struggle to Hit Misplaced Pages". Israel National News. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
29. ^ Hasson, Nir (18 August 2010). "The right's latest weapon: 'Zionist editing' on Misplaced Pages". Haaretz.
30. ^ Rachel Shabi, Jemima Kiss (18 August 2010). "Misplaced Pages editing courses launched by Zionist groups". Guardian.
31. ^ "The battle for Misplaced Pages: Palestinians counter Israeli editing group". Ynetnews. 28 August 2010.
32. Mackey, Robert (23 August 2010). "Readers Discuss Misplaced Pages Editing Course That Aims for 'Balanced and Zionist' Entries". The Lede. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
33. ^ "Misplaced Pages Founder: Israel-Palestine Is Heavily Debated, but We're Vigilant on Neutrality". Haaretz. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
34. Sales, Ben (19 May 2015). "Misplaced Pages founder Jimmy Wales likes Israel but stays neutral". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 25 August 2015.

External links

• Official website

v t e Judea and Samaria Area
Cities	Ariel Beitar Illit Ma'ale Adumim Modi'in Illit
Regional committee	Yesha Council
Regional councils	Gush Etzion Har Hevron Mateh Binyamin Megilot Dead Sea Shomron Southern Jordan Valley (Bik'at HaYarden)
Local councils	Alfei Menashe Beit Aryeh-Ofarim Beit El Efrat Elkana Giv'at Ze'ev Har Adar Immanuel Karnei Shomron Kedumim Kiryat Arba Ma'ale Efrayim Oranit
See also	Israeli occupation of the West Bank Enclave law Area C COGAT Israeli Civil Administration IDF Central Command Israeli settlement List Population statistics Seam Zone Jerusalem District

• Israeli settlement
• Political organizations based in Israel
• Zionist organizations