Israel Ganz, chairman of the Yesha Council and head of the Binyamin Regional Council, told the JNS international conference in Jerusalem on Monday morning that applying Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is the next step. He said the local movement is no longer defensive: “We are no longer on the defensive, we are on the offensive.”
Ganz opened by noting how international institutions describe the area, saying the United Nations calls it “occupied territory,” the European Union calls it “disputed territory,” and, “on a good day,” the U.S. State Department calls it “a complicated issue.” He said he missed the conference’s opening day because he attended the funeral of Staff Sgt. Naveh Havshush of Binyamin, one of five fighters killed that same day in battles in the Gaza Strip. “Today I come here with the spirit of Naveh and his friends, a reminder of what we are fighting for and why we will never stop,” he said.
He also invoked the historical significance of the land, pointing to ancient Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood, and said the newspaper headlines are “very young” while the hills are ancient. Addressing ties with Washington, Ganz argued that the relationship between Israel and the United States is not a cold bargain based only on security interests, but a partnership rooted in shared values and a common belief in the right of free people to defend their freedom.
On sovereignty, he sent what he called a message of friendship to Washington: friends do not always agree, but “do not prevent us from defending ourselves.” Ganz added that the area labeled abroad as “disputed territory” already hosts quiet international business, with companies in Binyamin operating across the United States and Europe. He said the council’s economic plan for the coming years includes establishing large industrial zones that will transform the region, and ended by saying, “We made a decision, we are no longer on the defensive, we are on the offensive, and we do not intend to go back,” while urging American attendees to join in building the future.
