In his letter of resignation, Lieberman talked about his exhaustion after "a period full of ups and downs, the most difficult period in the history of the settlement enterprise in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, which included the Oslo War and the expulsion of Jews from northern Samaria and Gush Katif."
Lieberman said in a statement that changes were needed in the way the council was run. “In order to be relevant, we must implement a number of essential changes in the Yesha Council’s structure through expansion of the leadership,” he wrote.
That expansion should include the addition of leaders from other sectors and communities throughout Judea and Samaria, he said. The council has been criticized in the past year for including only regional council heads in its membership.
Community representatives such as rabbis and other spiritual leaders, academics and upcoming younger activists have been left out of the mix, leading to alienation and criticism of the council by many of its constituents.
Lieberman also called for a “strategic new initiative that takes advantage of the window of opportunity resulting from the second Lebanon war.”
Yesha Council sources quoted by Haaretz said they believe Lieberman will try to work out an agreement with the Olmert government on the issue of destroying unauthorized outposts before leaving his post.
Elections to choose the next council leadership are set to be held in three months. One of the candidates is Tzviki Bar-Chai, who was in charge of managing the resistance during the expulsion of the Jewish communities in Gush Katif. Bar-Chai is the chairman of the South Hebron Hills Regional Council.
Lieberman, who once headed the B'Tzedek right-wing legal rights organization, said he would remain as chairman of the Samaria Regional Council after he ends his term as Yesha Council chairman.
Lieberman said in a statement that changes were needed in the way the council was run. “In order to be relevant, we must implement a number of essential changes in the Yesha Council’s structure through expansion of the leadership,” he wrote.
That expansion should include the addition of leaders from other sectors and communities throughout Judea and Samaria, he said. The council has been criticized in the past year for including only regional council heads in its membership.
Community representatives such as rabbis and other spiritual leaders, academics and upcoming younger activists have been left out of the mix, leading to alienation and criticism of the council by many of its constituents.
Lieberman also called for a “strategic new initiative that takes advantage of the window of opportunity resulting from the second Lebanon war.”
Yesha Council sources quoted by Haaretz said they believe Lieberman will try to work out an agreement with the Olmert government on the issue of destroying unauthorized outposts before leaving his post.
Elections to choose the next council leadership are set to be held in three months. One of the candidates is Tzviki Bar-Chai, who was in charge of managing the resistance during the expulsion of the Jewish communities in Gush Katif. Bar-Chai is the chairman of the South Hebron Hills Regional Council.
Lieberman, who once headed the B'Tzedek right-wing legal rights organization, said he would remain as chairman of the Samaria Regional Council after he ends his term as Yesha Council chairman.