In 5785, Yisrael Ganz fused fluent English advocacy in the United States with on-the-ground governance in Binyamin to keep sovereignty over Israeli-held parts of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) squarely on the agenda. As head of Israel’s largest regional municipality and the movement’s umbrella body, he operates at both the municipal and national levels.
Ganz invested in US outreach and visibility. When US House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Ariel and Shiloh in August, Ganz and other council heads stood alongside him, a moment that signaled new political traction for applying Israeli law beyond the Green Line. He also engaged American conservative networks, with CPAC (the Conservative Political Action Conference) adopting a resolution backing Israeli sovereignty after talks with the Yesha Council.
He frames the case for sovereignty in moral, security, and practical terms. “Annexation of Judea and Samaria is on the table… but it will take time,” he told The Jerusalem Post in January, emphasizing a gradual, policy-driven path. “We must control the land and care for the people, there’s no other way,” he said at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference, linking law-and-order to governance. And in February, he distilled the movement’s credo: “We have to say, ‘This is our state. We will stay here forever, and this is part of the State of Israel.’”
Israel’s sovereignty deliberations
Ganz’s rise is also administrative. The Binyamin Regional Council portfolio gives him daily leverage on roads, security, and growth, while the Yesha chairmanship positions him inside Israel’s sovereignty deliberations.
Forty-seven-year-old Ganz represents a new generation of council heads within this area – most of whom are second or third-generation residents in the West Bank. Their approach is more moderate at times, and they see the world differently – mainly with a more international perspective and with a more diplomatic approach.
Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with his vision, if sovereignty over Israeli parts of Judea and Samaria is actualized, Ganz is poised to be one of the principals who not only advocates for it but also helps design and execute how it is implemented.