Yishai Fleisher

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Yishai Fleisher speaking in Washington DC.

Yishai Fleisher (Hebrew: ישי פליישר‎) is the international spokesperson for the Jewish community of Hebron and a broadcaster with a weekly podcast on The Land of Israel Network.^[1] He is a frequent columnist for the Daily Wire and Jewish Press, and has been published in the New York Times.^[2] He has been featured on CNN, Al Jazeera, Fox, Vice, and BBC.^{[citation needed]}

In 2016, Fleisher argued against UNESCO's attempt to recognize the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron as a Palestinian World Heritage Site.^[3][4] The protest against the move eventually brought both the US Administration and Israel to withdraw from UNESCO.^[5][6]

Fleisher is the founder of Kumah, a pro-Israel organization^{[dubious – discuss]} educating about Israel and encouraging aliyah, and works closely with US and Israeli legislators on issues such as fighting BDS, recognizing Israeli indigenous rights, fighting historical appropriation, advocating for immigration to Israel, and strengthening the Jewish people's presence in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria.^[7] He lives in Israel^{[dubious – discuss]} with his wife and kids.^{[citation needed]}

Background & education

Fleisher was born in Israel to Jewish Refuseniks from the Soviet Union, and was raised in the United States. At the age of 17, Fleisher returned to Israel and served as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces and was injured in Lebanon during his military service in 1997.^[8]

Fleisher returned to the US where he completed an undergraduate degree in political science at Yeshiva University, and a Juris Doctorate at the Cardozo School of Law.^[9] He received his rabbinic degree from in Jerusalem.^{[citation needed]}

Media and journalism

Radio and podcasts

Fleisher was the director of programming at the Religious Zionist radio station, Israel National Radio (Arutz 7) from 2003 to 2011.^[10] From 2011 to 2014 he broadcast the only English-language talk show on terrestrial radio in Israel at the time on (106.5 FM).^[11] From 2014 to 2015 Fleisher was Director of Programming and a broadcaster at the now defunct Voice of Israel, an independent internet broadcast network located in Jerusalem.^[12]

Fleisher has been featured regularly on international news outlets cable television and radio outlets such as CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC, I24, where he provides commentary on or debates topics related to the two-state solution, the Arab-Israeli conflict and Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria.^[13]

He is also the host of the Yishai Fleisher Show, a weekly podcast on .^[14]

Yishai Fleisher with Hebrew University students at the Voice of Israel studios in Jerusalem

New York Times article controversy

In 2017, Fleisher penned an article in The New York Times titled A Settler's View of Israel's Future.^[2] This article outlined five alternatives to the Two-State Solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. A subsequent article in the Huffington Post revealed that the article generated controversy among the newspaper's editorial staff who questioned whether such ideas should be published.^[15]

The Huffington Post published the transcripts of a meeting between New York Times employees and the Opinion Editor, James Bennet.^[16] In response to an employee's question about when an issue is considered debatable versus settled, Bennet said the following:

“We had a big argument over a piece by a settler. And you know, pick your issue. For some people it’s climate change, for some people it’s trans rights, for others it’s a two-state solution and the fate of the Palestinians. In this case, it was the settler saying, look, the two-state solution is dead and [it’s] time to face reality, and here’s some alternative paths for what the future would look like. And we had a real debate about whether this piece was crossing a line, because was it denying personhood to the Palestinians? Was it an act of, kind of, hate speech in a sense? I felt strongly that we should publish the piece and we did, as did others. Because this particular viewpoint is hugely consequential.”^[15]

Advocacy for Jewish settlement in Hebron

In 2016, Fleisher became the international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron.^[17] In that capacity, Fleisher has been the face of Jewish Hebron for VIPs from all over the world, including Members of Congress, governors, celebrities, and journalists.^[18] Fleisher has worked to normalize the perception of the Jewish settlement in Hebron in the international community, increase tourism and recognize the value of the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs as a global heritage site.^[19] He also promotes Arab-Jewish relations and has attended coexistence events such as a kosher iftar fast-breaking meal for Ramadan in Hebron.^[20][21]

During his tenure, Fleisher produced films and informational material for the Israeli government to counter UNESCO's vote to recognize the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs as a Palestinian World Heritage site.^{[22] [23]}

In 2017, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced the decision of the Trump administration to leave UNESCO specifically because of their anti-Jewish Hebron decision.^[24][25]

Aliyah (immigration to Israel) advocacy

At Yeshiva University, he co-founded Kumah, "Arise", an organization whose mission was to enhance awareness about aliyah, Jewish immigration to Israel.^{[citation needed]} In this capacity, Fleisher helped create the Aliyah Revolution CD, a compilation of songs by major Israeli artists in 2009.^[26][27][28] In 2006 Fleisher co-created Free Your Mind,^[29] an animated short feature promoting aliyah to American Jews.^[30] A take-off of the popular Matrix series, the animation was created by Gil Ronen.^[31]

Fleisher conceptualized and helped write the original bill that created Yom HaAliyah, or Aliyah Day, which acknowledges Aliyah, immigration to the Jewish state, as a core value of the State of Israel, and honors the ongoing contributions of Olim, Jewish immigrants, to Israeli society.^{[citation needed]} The roots of Aliyah Day come from a 2008 session at the Knesset^[32][33] and later in 2010 at an event held by MK Yaakov Katz.^[34] At the event Fleisher was quoted by Haaretz as stating:

"'It's very important to me that this law will also be exported to the Diaspora, so that [Jewish] schools will celebrate this day like they celebrate Independence day,' explained Fleisher, who runs Kumah..."^[35]

In the bill's introductory passage, Fleisher wrote, "Aliyah stands at the foundation of the State of Israel... and Israel strives to continue the process of immigration and the Ingathering of the Exiles. Public awareness is critical to this end…" The bill eventually became law in 2016.^[36]

Yishai and Malkah Fleisher^[who?] in Jerusalem

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yishai Fleisher.

• YishaiFleisher.com
• Kumah site (archived)