During an interview at the 2025 Jerusalem Post Annual Conference, Yisrael Ganz, Governor of the Binyamin Region and Chairman of the Yesha Council, emphasized the need for decisive political and security measures in Judea and Samaria.
In response to recent sanction threats from the UK, France, and Canada regarding Israeli settlement activities, Ganz rejected international criticism and redefined the issue as a matter of national survival. “If there will be a Palestinian state in the center of Israel, it will be the highest risk for our state. It’s about survival,” he said.
Ganz supported quickly applying Israeli law to the area, claiming that this action would stabilize the region and protect Israel’s interests future. “Israel must announce that we apply the Israeli law over the area,” he insisted, adding that such a move would also serve to “break apart the Palestinian Authority army.”
He characterized the Palestinian Authority as an increasing security risk, pointing out that “today we have 45,000 Palestinian soldiers over our borders, significantly more than were present in Gaza prior to October 7.” He cautioned against the possibility of a repeat of the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, stating, “We must not allow October 7 to occur again.”
On the geopolitical front, Ganz praised former U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategic vision, suggesting that Israel adopt a similar approach in Judea and Samaria. “Trump said every risk has an opportunity,” said Ganz. “We have to control the land... and take care of the population.”
He proposed a regional model where Palestinian residents live under local governance - “like counties in the United States”- but under overall Israeli security control. “We must clean the area [of] terror... encourage immigration for those who want it, and build industrial zones and a health system.”
Ganz was emphatic when asked whether cooperation with the Palestinian Authority could still be viable. “They sponsor terrorism, educate for terrorism, and march from the river to the sea. We are not allowed to trust them.”
Written in collaboration with Yesha Council