Uri Bank
Uri Bank is the co-founder of the Israel Allies Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors.[1] [2] Though he was educated in Israel Bank was born in the United States. He made aliyah at the age of 12, moving from Chicago to Israel. He became a tank commander as a 'lone soldier'. Bank lives in Neve Daniel, an illegal West Bank settlement withink the larger Gush Etzion settlement bloc.[1]
Contents
Education
Bank holds a BA in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Studies from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. [2]
Political Career
Bank has run as a candidate for the Knesset in every election from 2003. He initially ran for the Moledet party (Bank was Chairman of the party from 2002 to 2009) which was later subsumed into the National Union. He has been the Secretary General of the Jewish Home faction from 2013 - 2015. From 2009 to 2013 he was the Director of the National Union faction. Between 1996 and 2002 he was advisor to Ministry of Tourism Binyamin Elon. In 2014, Bank ran in the primaries of the radical Jewish Home party. Bank was endorsed by Naftali Bennett, the leader of the Jewish Home.[1] [2]
Israel Allies Foundation
Bank is the co-founder of the Israel Allies Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors.[1] In 2014 he described the objectives of the IAF: 'Evangelical Christians are powerful in their countries and they love Israel, but they haven’t been taught how to leverage that in our favor..That is what we’re doing.'[1]
Views
Support for Occupation
Discussing Naftali Bennett, the leader of the Jewish Home Bank commented in 2014:
'When Bennett and [Bayit Yehudi faction chairwoman Ayelet] Shaked came in to play, I identified with them... I think they’re doing a wonderful job representing what I believe in on the Land of Israel and being on guard against any kind of capitulation... They are a strong voice saying all of Israel, all of Judea and Samaria, belongs to us, unapologetically.'[1]
Affiliations
- Israel Allies Foundation - Founding Member, Board of Directors (2007 - present)
- The Israeli Initiative - Executive Director/Spokesman (2005 - present)
- Bayit Yehudi Knesset Faction - Secretary General (2013 - 2015)
- National Union Halchud HaLeumi Knesset Faction - Director (2009 - 2013)
- Jewish National Fund - Member, Board of Directors (2006 - 2012)
- Moledet - Chairman (2002 - 2009)
- Magen Shaul pre-Army Preparatory Yeshiva in Nokdim - CEO (2004 - 2005)
- Advisor to Knesset Member and Ministry of Tourism Benny Elon (1996 - 2002)
- National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu Knesset Faction - Director (2000 - 2001)
- Israel Studies Institute - Technical Coordinator (1994 -1996)[2]
