The Yesha Council held a conference titled "The National Camp Prepares for the Trump Administration" on Monday night in Jerusalem, which was dedicated to formulating a joint strategy for promoting and strengthening Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, in the lead-up to the change of government in the US in January.
Speaker of the Knesset, Amir Ohana, opened the conference, saying: "The achievements of President Trump and his team, which we would like to call the 'Dream Team,' show that we are standing on the brink of the golden age in Israel-US relations. We now have opportunities that will ensure Israel's security for generations, and we must seize these opportunities wisely. I want to thank you for your long-standing efforts in the support of Jewish residence, construction, growth, and flourishing in our homeland – recognizing that not only is Jewish existence in Judea and Samaria not an obstacle to peace, but it is the only path to achieve peace."
Chairman of the Yesha Council and head of the Binyamin regional council, Yisrael Gantz, noted that "We are facing an historic opportunity and the reason we are here today is not to respond to a crisis, but to identify opportunities and take action in a world of opportunities, not only in a world of crises. The US government will not make decisions for Israel. The responsibility for the success of this process lies primarily in our hands, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the Israeli government takes initiative and leads significant change."
MK Ohad Tal added: "There is a very strong pro-Israel sentiment, both in the rivalry between those closest to Trump and in the public battle that brought him to power. They want to solve the Palestinian problem, rather than maintain it, and this creates a great opportunity for applying sovereignty.
Our challenge is to permanently remove the two-state solution from the agenda. The Americans cannot be seen to be more Zionist than us, so we need to state what we want very clearly. The Americans are attentive to our needs, but we don't have a good enough answer. We need to define the meaning of sovereignty and what it looks in practice."
CEO of the Yesha Council, Omer Rachamim, concluded: "Tonight's gathering underscores the close cooperation between all community entities and the National Camp. Only through joint and dedicated work can we present the Israeli government with a clear and practical plan for implementing sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. It is imperative that we take action now."