Yossi Dagan

Yossi Dagan (Hebrew: יוסי דגן) Israeli grassroots community organizer[1] is a leader of Homesh First, a grassroots organization dedicated to re-settling and re-building Homesh.[2] Homesh First was formed after the homes of the Jewish residents of Homesh were razed and the Jewish community was evicted as part of Israel's disengagement in August 2005.[3] Dagan himself was a resident of Sanur, which was also demolished and evacuated as part of the 2005 disengagement plan.[4] He is married, and father to three small children. He lives in Shavi Shomron, a Jewish town or settlement to the west of Shechem/Nablus. He has a master's degree in Law, and is an officer in the IDF reserves.[4] In August 2015, Dagan was elected as Head of the Shomron Regional Council, replacing Gershon Mesika, who resigned from his post following involvement in the Yisrael Beteynu scandal.[5] He received the support of 63% of the voters in general elections that were held for the Shomron Regional Municipal government on Aug. 6, 2015.[6]

Political activism

Dagan was active in actions of civil disobedience as a method of protesting the Disengagement Plan. Dagan helped to organize the 2007 Yom Ha'atzmaut march to Homesh. During Sukkot of the same year, Dagan organized a pilgrimage to Homesh. Many former residents and sympathetic Israelis camped out on the grounds where Homesh houses were demolished.[7][8] The Christian Science Monitor quoted Dagan as warning against the disengagement: "You'll be creating a terror state that would threaten most of the country with Qassam [missiles]."[9]

In 2013, Dagan helped to spearhead a public relations campaign focused on welcoming Israelis to the West Bank. Dagan hoped to counter what he said were "radical left-wing Israeli groups" that promote hatred against settlements in Israel and Europe.[10]

In January 2015, he became involved in an international incident between the U.S State Department and Israel. In January 2015, Jewish settlers at the "Adei Ad illegal outpost"[11] threw stones at diplomats from a U.S. delegation who had arrived to inspect vandalism reported at a grove of Palestinian-owned trees in the occupied West Bank. It was reported that recently, settlers were suspected of uprooting thousands of olive tree saplings, some of which had been planted in honor of senior Palestinian official Ziad Abu Ein, who collapsed and died after an altercation with an Israeli soldier. The American consulate came to inspect the grove because some of the land owners claim U.S. citizenship.[12][13] No injuries were reported.[14] A U.S. State Department spokesman, Jeff Rathke, said, "We can confirm a vehicle from the Consulate General was pelted with stones and confronted by a group of armed settlers today in the West Bank, near the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya." He added that the U.S. is "deeply concerned" about the attack, and that the Israeli authorities recognize "the seriousness of the incident".[15] A police spokeswoman said the police were investigating the incident, and no arrests had been made.[16] The U.S. State Department has offered the Israeli authorities a videotape of the incident showing no American drew weapons. Yossi Dagan, in his role as Head of the Shomron Regional Council, urged Interior Minister Gilad Erdan to expel the American delegation, claiming they were spies.[17]

Protest Outside Prime Minister's Residence

In the end of October 2017 Yossi Dagan, Head of Shomron Regional Council lead a three week long protest outside of the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem. Together with leaders of other municipalities in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and families of victims of terror. The protesters demanded that the government approve with no delay funding to improve roads and security for the Jewish towns in the region. During the last week they declared a hunger strike. On Friday Nov. 9, the group held a press conference on site together with MK David Bitan who represented PM Netanyahu in negotiations, they announced that their demands were accepted and that the PM had signed a letter to the effect.[18]

Joseph's Tomb

Through cooperation and protection of the IDF command The Shomron Regional Council organizes periodic visits and events at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus Shechem which in Area A under the full control of the Palestinian Authority. This area is normally of limits to Israeli and Jewish people. On such a visit in December 2017 the site was found vandalized, something that has occurred repeatedly under the PA. Yossi Dagan called on the government of Israel to retake and protect the Jewish holy place.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ourjerusalem.com/news/story/two-years-after-disengagement-yeshiva-opens-in-homesh.html
  2. ↑ "Two years after disengagement yeshiva opens in Homesh".
  3. ↑ News, A. B. C. "International News: Latest Headlines, Video and Photographs from Around the World -- People, Places, Crisis, Conflict, Culture, Change, Analysis and Trends". ABC News.
  4. 1 2 "Profile of Municipal Head". Shomron Regional Council Website.
  5. ↑ "Arutz 7: Gershon Mesika Resigns as Samaria Regional Council Head".
  6. ↑ "Israel's Ministry of Interior: Results of Special Elections Aug. 6 2015" (PDF).
  7. ↑ "Homesh First plans 'mass pilgrimage' to former West Bank settlement on Sukkot".
  8. ↑ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/870283.html
  9. ↑ Mitnick, Joshua (12 July 2005). "New arrivals fight West Bank plan" – via Christian Science Monitor.
  10. ↑ "Settlers PR offensive". Alternative News. 23 October 2013.
  11. ↑ Levinson, Chaim (2 January 2015). "Settlers throw stones at U.S. consulate convoy in West Bank". Haaretz.
  12. ↑ Williams, Dan (2 January 2015). "American Diplomatic Convoy Stoned by Jewish Settlers on West Bank". The Jewish Daily Forward.
  13. ↑ Beaumont, Peter (1 January 2015). "Israeli settlers stone two cars belonging to US consulate staff". The Guardian.
  14. ↑ "Israeli settlers in stone-throwing confrontation with US diplomats". The Daily Telegraph. 2 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "US 'deeply concerned' by settler attack on consulate staff". Times of Israel. 2 January 2015.
  16. ↑ "Israeli Settlers Threw Stones at U.S. Diplomats' Cars". Newsweek. 2 January 2015.
  17. ↑ Eichner, Itamar (3 January 2015). "US embassy: Diplomats did not pull guns on settlers". YNET.
  18. ↑ Jacob, Magid (11/9/2017). "Fight over new West Bank roads drives settler leaders further apart". Times of Israel. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ↑ Ben Porat, Ido. "Joseph's Tomb vandalized". 7 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
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