Danny Dayan is stepping down as head of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria (Yesha Council). Dayan made the announcement Tuesday night, so that he could work on behalf of the Likud/Yisrael Beiteinu. Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Dayan explained that as an official of the Council, he was not allowed to engage in political lobbying, and that he felt working for the success of the Likud/Yisrael Beiteinu list now requires all of his efforts.
Binyamin Netanyahu must be reelected as Prime Minister, Dayan said, and the outgoing chairman said he would do whatever was necessary to ensure that Netanyahu again takes office as Prime Minister.
Dayan has a long history in Israeli politics. He was active in the Techiya party in the 1990s, rising to a top position, and was a candidate for the Knesset in the 1988 and 1992 elections. In 2007, he was elected chairman of the Yesha Council, and helped update the Council's activities and image.
Dayan's term was not without controversy: During the evacuations of Migron and the Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El, Dayan was accused of failing to properly lead the struggle against those actions by the government. Dayan asked for a vote of confidence from other officials of the Council in the wake of those accusations.