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Ron Nachman
Ron Nachman
Ron Nachman
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Ron Nachman (Hebrew: רון נחמן‎; 6 August 1942 – 18 January 2013) was an Israeli politician and former Knesset member for the Likud. The founder of Ariel, one of the largest Israeli settlements in the West Bank, he was its mayor from 1985 until his death in 2013.[1]

Key Information

Biography

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Born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era, Nachman studied at Tel Aviv University, where he gained an LLB and a BA in political science and law studies.

He joined the settlement enterprise in 1972. As a board member of Israel Military Industries he established the "Tel Aviv Group" to settle the territories captured by Israel in June 1967. It was only in 1978 that something actually took off on the ground.[2] After helping found Ariel in 1978, he became its first mayor in 1985, and was re-elected four times.

Nachman had argued for making Ariel an integral part of Israel. Since 1997, he had worked to have the former College of Judea and Samaria upgraded to university status. Although the college had renamed itself the Ariel University Center of Samaria, both Minister of Education Yuli Tamir and the Council for Higher Education had vowed to block it.[3] Nevertheless, in 2012 the College officially became a university, becoming the first university approved in Israel since the 1980s.[4]

In 1992 he was elected to the Knesset on Likud's list and was a member of the finance and constitution, law and justice committees. He lost his seat in the 1996 elections.

Nachman was also alternate deputy chairman of the Zionist Council in Israel and a member of the Zionist Action Committee. He also served as deputy chairman of the Union of Local Authorities. He saw himself as the last of the secular settlers.[2]

In February 2013, Nachman was posthumously awarded the Israel Prize.[5]

Death

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Nachman died on 18 January 2013 while being treated in Beilinson Hospital after a long battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.[6] He was buried at the Etgarim Park of the Nationwide Center for Development of Leadership overlooking Ariel, instead of the local cemetery. He had requested this exceptional location and special approval was given. Eulogies were given by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin among other personalities.[7][8]

References

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Ron Nachman

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Ron Nachman (6 August 1942 – 18 January 2013) was an Israeli politician affiliated with the , renowned as the founder of Ariel—one of the largest in the —and its mayor from 1985 until his death. He established Ariel in 1978 amid efforts to develop Jewish communities in the region following the 1967 Six-Day War. Nachman served as a member of the Knesset for from 1992 to 1996, where he focused on committees related to settlement issues and national development. Throughout his tenure, he advocated strongly for the expansion of in Judea and Samaria, viewing Ariel as a strategic and ideological anchor for Israeli presence in the territory. A key achievement in his later years was spearheading the campaign that culminated in receiving full university status in 2012, elevating the institution's academic standing despite political opposition. Nachman's leadership transformed Ariel from a small outpost into a city of over 18,000 residents by the time of his passing, emphasizing education, industry, and infrastructure to foster self-sufficiency. His unwavering commitment to earned him praise from right-wing circles but criticism from opponents of expansion.

Early life and settlement involvement

Education

Born on 6 August 1942 in Tel Aviv, Ron Nachman pursued higher education at , where he earned a bachelor's degree in and labor studies in 1970. He later obtained a bachelor's degree in law () from the same institution in 1980. These qualifications in law and political science provided foundational expertise in governance, policy, and legal frameworks, directly supporting his subsequent roles in public administration and political advocacy.

Pre-Ariel settlement activities

Nachman joined Israel's in 1972, predating the establishment of the religiously driven Gush Emunim bloc. As a board member of , he undertook a mission assigned by to form the "Tel Aviv Group," aimed at populating territories captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. This initiative reflected his early advocacy for settlement expansion, positioning him as a prominent secular proponent in a movement often associated with religious motivations.

Ariel and mayoralty

Founding of Ariel

In 1978, Ron Nachman led a nucleus group of 40 families to establish the settlement of on a rocky and barren hill in the central region known as Samaria, with the approval and support of the Israeli government under Prime Minister Menachem Begin. This initiative drew on Nachman's prior involvement in settlement activities through the Tel Aviv Group. Nachman's primary motivation was to create a substantial urban-style Jewish community in the West Bank, distinct from smaller outposts, by attracting families committed to long-term development in the area amid the broader post-1967 settlement movement. The strategy emphasized rapid initial occupation of state-designated land to secure a foothold, leveraging government backing to facilitate basic infrastructure like temporary housing and access roads. Early challenges included the harsh terrain, which required pioneering efforts to clear land and establish essential services, alongside organizing communal governance to foster cohesion among the founding families. Nachman coordinated these steps by prioritizing family recruitment from urban backgrounds, aiming to build a self-sustaining nucleus that could expand through shared responsibilities for security and development.

Tenure as mayor

Nachman was elected as Ariel's first mayor in 1985 following its initial years as a settlement and held the office continuously until his death in 2013, securing re-election multiple times over his nearly 28-year tenure. Under his leadership, Nachman prioritized infrastructure expansion and population growth initiatives, including legal efforts to secure through a successful Supreme Court challenge against the state, which facilitated increased investment and residency. He actively recruited new residents to bolster Ariel's demographic and economic base, aiming to establish it as a self-sustaining urban center. Nachman positioned as an inseparable part of Israel, emphasizing its role in the while identifying himself as the "last of the secular settlers" to underscore his vision of a normative, prosperous community driven by pragmatic development rather than ideology alone.

National political career

Knesset service

Nachman was elected to the 13th Knesset in 1992 as a member of the . He served from 1992 until 1996, losing his seat in the . During his tenure, he was a member of the Knesset's and served on other committees. In the Knesset, Nachman advocated for policies promoting the expansion of in the .

Additional roles and advocacy

After leaving the Knesset in 1996, Nachman sustained national-level advocacy for , stressing the need for substantial urban developments to solidify Israeli presence in the territory. He argued that only large-scale communities could generate irreversible "," distinguishing Ariel's model from smaller outposts. A key example was his role in the discussions, where he lobbied to position Ariel on Israel's side of the fence amid pressure from U.S. officials to exclude it; the resulting open-city arrangement without enclosure was hailed by Nachman as validation of his approach, as smaller would lack such bargaining power. He further promoted settlements' normalization by campaigning for Ariel's appearance on routine weather maps in , framing it as inseparable from the state.

Death and legacy

Final efforts

Nachman spearheaded a long-term campaign to transform Ariel's College of Judea and Samaria into a full-fledged university, viewing it as central to developing Ariel as an academic hub akin to a university town. His advocacy included persistent lobbying of government bodies, framing the upgrade as essential for regional growth and higher education access. Key milestones featured initial governmental recognition in 2005, when Ariel Sharon's administration endorsed plans to establish an independent university from a branch in Ariel, though full implementation faced delays amid academic opposition. Nachman countered critics, including university heads who decried the move as politically driven and unnecessary, by emphasizing the institution's academic merits and enrollment scale. The effort culminated in July 2012, when the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria voted to grant university status to , marking Israel's first new university approval in nearly three decades despite ongoing debates. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally congratulated Nachman, hailing the decision as a milestone for Ariel.

Illness, death, and honors

Nachman battled cancer for several years before succumbing to the illness on 18 January 2013 at in Petah Tikva, where he was 70 years old. His funeral drew eulogies from prominent figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised Nachman's vision and dedication to even amid illness, and Knesset Speaker , who described him as a "rare breed" committed to pioneering efforts. In recognition of his contributions, Nachman was posthumously awarded the for Lifetime Achievement and Exceptional Contribution to the Nation in February 2013.

References

  1. https://www.jta.org/2013/01/20/obituaries/ron-nachman-a-founder-of-ariel-and-the-west-bank-citys-only-mayor-dies
  2. https://www.jpost.com/national-news/ariel-founder-long-time-mayor-ron-nachman-dies
  3. https://www.jewishpost.com/culture/ron-nachman-the-soul-of-ariel.html
  4. https://en.ariel.muni.il/9/
  5. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ariel-university-battle/
  6. https://www.timesofisrael.com/late-mayor-of-ariel-laid-to-rest-in-west-bank-city/
  7. https://israel-prize.education.gov.il/israel-prize-recipients/pras-israel-catalog/ron-nachman/
  8. https://main.knesset.gov.il/mk/pages/mkpersonaldetails.aspx?mkid=157
  9. https://www.haaretz.com/2013-01-19/ty-article/.premium/ron-nachman-the-secular-settler/0000017f-f7e1-d318-afff-f7e32eaf0000
  10. https://en.ariel.muni.il/10/
  11. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/vie-ariel
  12. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/164338
  13. https://powerbase.info/index.php/Ron_Nachman
  14. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2538219
  15. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/israeli-settler-movement/case-of-success/ABA5485C84C01926B801083E59B9ED2D
  16. https://www.haaretz.com/2012-08-01/ty-article/is-ariel-university-the-teachers-pet/0000017f-f960-d044-adff-fbf98bae0000
  17. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2005/5/2/israeli-colony-to-get-own-university
  18. https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/54906
  19. https://www.jpost.com/national-news/ariel-gets-university-status-despite-opposition
  20. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-1000766806
  21. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ron-nachman-mayor-of-ariel-dies/
  22. https://www.haaretz.com/2013-01-19/ty-article/.premium/mayor-of-ariel-dies/0000017f-f386-d5bd-a17f-f7bebd8a0000
  23. https://www.jpost.com/national-news/pm-praises-nachman-as-a-man-of-vision-and-action/article-300282
  24. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/rivlin-eulogizes-ron-nachman-you-were-a-rare-breed/article-300206
  25. https://www.timesofisrael.com/late-ariel-mayor-to-be-honored-with-israel-prize/
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