Ori Kallner
Ori Kallner | |
|---|---|
אורי קלנר | |
 | |
| Head of the Golan Regional Council | |
| Assumed office 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Haim Rokach |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Ori Kallner (Hebrew: אורי קלנר) is an Israeli local government official and Israel Defense Forces reserve officer who has served as head of the Golan Regional Council, the regional council that administers Israeli communities in the Golan Heights, since 2024.[1][2] He defeated incumbent Haim Rokach in the February 2024 Israeli municipal elections.[1][2]
Early life
Kallner was born in Jerusalem. He is the son of Rabbi Yosef Kallner, an educator at the Bnei David pre-military academy.[1]
After high school he was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces, serving in the Maglan unit as an officer.
Public Service
From 2012 to 2018, Kallner served as deputy head of the Golan Regional Council under then-head Eli Malka. He subsequently founded and ran a company that leads settlement projects across northern Israel.[1][2]
Head of the Golan Regional Council
In the 2024 Israeli municipal elections, held on 27 February 2024, Kallner—then 44 years old—defeated incumbent council head Haim Rokach for the leadership of the Golan Regional Council.[3] Kallner won 67.5 percent of the vote, against 27.1 percent for Rokach and 5.5 percent for a third candidate, Batya Gottlieb.[1][2][4] Rokach attended Kallner's victory celebration, where the two embraced on stage; Kallner thanked Rokach for "five years of work" and apologized for remarks made during the campaign.[2]
Positions and Policies
In July 2024, after a Hezbollah rocket attack killed two people in the Golan Heights, Kallner called on the Israeli government and the IDF to abandon what he described as a "policy of restraint" and to "attack our enemies with force," stating that the offensive against Hezbollah should be moved into Lebanese territory.[4]
In November 2024, following the re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, Kallner showed visiting reporters new infrastructure prepared for housing development in Trump Heights (Ramat Trump), a Golan settlement named in Trump's honor. He said Trump's return to office "definitely puts the town in the headlines" and expressed hope that Trump would help persuade European governments to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.[3]
In July 2025, amid reports that Syria might join the Abraham Accords, Kallner and Katzrin local council head Yehuda Dua issued a joint statement insisting that "any future agreement must recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan" and that Israeli security in the region be preserved.[5]
In February 2026, Kallner presented Dr. Miriam Adelson with the Golan Regional Council's "Friend of the Golan" (Yekirat HaGolan) honor, recognizing her and her late husband Sheldon Adelson's role in Trump's 2019 recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan. He later spoke at a related tree-planting ceremony for Golan youth in Trump Heights.[6]
Military Service
After his mandatory service, Kallner continued to serve in the IDF Reserves as a commander in the 55th Paratroopers Brigade, where he reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. On October 7, 2023, he was the deputy commander of the Brigade and led its soldiers to fight back Hamas terrorists in Kfar Aza, as they rescued families from their homes in the evening of the massacre.[7] In the four months immediately preceding the February 2024 local elections, he served in that role fighting in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war.[1][2]
Personal life
Kallner lives with his wife in the moshav of Ramat Magshimim. He is the father of six children. His sixth child, born in late 2024, was his first son, following five daughters.[8]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "הסא"ל שלחם בעזה נבחר ברוב עצום לתפקיד ראש המועצה האזורית גולן" [The lieutenant colonel who fought in Gaza was elected by a huge majority to head the Golan Regional Council]. Arutz Sheva (in Hebrew). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kraus, Yair (28 February 2024). "קצין וג'נטלמן: ניהל קמפיין במלחמה בעזה, וחגג ניצחון יחד עם ראש המועצה היוצא" [Officer and gentleman: he ran his campaign during the Gaza war, and celebrated victory together with the outgoing council head]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Residents of Golan's 'Trump Heights' see opportunity after namesake wins US election". The Times of Israel. Associated Press. 9 November 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 Michaelis, Tamar; Tawfeeq, Mohammed (10 July 2024). "Golan Regional Council head urges Israel to respond 'with force' after Hezbollah rocket fire kills two". Egypt Independent. CNN. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Golan leaders demand recognition in possible Abraham Accords expansion with Syria". The Jerusalem Post. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "A grove of recognition in the Golan". The Jerusalem Post. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ קרן, יואב; קרן, יואב (2026-02-26). ""ב-7 באוקטובר, בכפר עזה, אמרתי לעצמי: אני לא אתן שדבר כזה יקרה ברמת הגולן"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Cashman, Greer Fay (13 December 2024). "Grapevine December 13, 2024: A boy at last". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 June 2026.