Danielle Weiss is a far-right Israeli Orthodox Zionist settlement movement extremist and a former mayor of Kedumim, an Israeli settlement located in the West Bank. She was first elected mayor of Kedumim in September 1996 and was re-elected for a second term in November 2001 through 2007.
Early Life and Education
Danielle Weiss was born in Bnei Brak, Mandatory Palestine, in 1945. Her father was from the United States and her mother was born in波兰 and raised in Palestine since her first year of life. Both Jewish immigrants, they were members of Lehi, a Zionist paramilitary militant organization, and took part in underground activities. She attended a religious high school in Ramat Gan and studied as part of the Atuda program. She studied English literature and philosophy at Bar-Ilan University.
Career
Since the 1970s, Weiss has been a notable figure in the Gush Emunim settlement movement, active in the establishment of many new settlements in the West Bank. She became the secretary-general of Gush Emunim and led a vigilante group on a shooting and rock-throwing rampage through the town of Qalqiliya after a Jewish woman was killed in a firebomb attack. She was sentenced to a fine and a suspended sentence.
Mayor of Kedumim
Weiss served as the mayor of Kedumim between 1996 and 2007. In 2010, she founded the Nachala Settlement Movement, which aims to settle and create Jewish communities in the West Bank. She serves as its director.
Views and Policies
Weiss is a strong supporter of Israeli settlement in the West Bank and opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. In a 2023 interview with The New Yorker, Weiss said that Arabs "lost their right to vote for the Knesset. They will never get this right," and when asked how she felt about the deaths of Palestinian children, replied that "[m]y children are prior to the children of the enemy, period." Weiss made the statement of what drives the Israeli push to settle Jewish land: "In Israel, there's a lot of support for settlements, and this is why there have been right-wing governments for so many years. The world, especially the United States, thinks there is an option for a Palestinian state, and, if we continue to build communities, then we block the option for a Palestinian state. We want to close the option for a Palestinian state, and the world wants to leave the option open. It's a very simple thing to understand."
Legal Issues
Danielle Weiss has faced legal issues in her career. In 1989, she was convicted of entering a closed military area to protest the murder of a taxi driver at the Yakir Junction in the West Bank. In 2007, she was charged with obstructing a police officer in the line of duty and assaulting a police officer. She was sentenced to 5 months probation.
Personal Life
Danielle Weiss is married to Amnon Weiss. They have two daughters. In 2002, the husband and in laws of Weiss's daughter were among those killed during an attack in the Elon Moreh settlement in the West Bank. Weiss's daughter and grandchild survived the attack by hiding under a table and running from the home.
Real Estate Holdings
Danielle Weiss and her husband own a large amount of real estate in Tel Aviv and the West Bank, such as a building in Madinah Square and a factory to produce gold jewelry. In 2010, it was announced that a building she owned on Bialik Street in Tel Aviv was to be demolished, causing a dispute regarding the preservation of buildings in the area.
Recent Updates
As of the time of writing,Danielle Weiss continues to be a prominent figure in the Israeli settlement movement and remains a vocal supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Her views and policies have drawn criticism from Palestinian leaders and human rights groups, and her legal issues continue to make headlines in以色列. It is unclear to her whether her actions are driven by a sense of patriotism or a dedication to a particular political agenda.
