Hanan Porat
Encyclopedia
Hanan Porat was an Israel
i rabbi, educator and politician who served as a member of the Knesset
for Tehiya
, the National Religious Party
, Tkuma and the National Union
between 1981 and 1984 and 1988 and 1999.
in 1943, during the Mandate era. In 1944, his family moved to Kfar Etzion
. In early 1948, during the Arab riots of 1948
, Kfar Etzion was besieged and the children were evacuated to Jerusalem. Porat's father also moved there to arrange convoys. After the Kfar Etzion massacre
, his family settled in Kfar Pines. Porat studied at the Bnei Akiva
yeshiva high school, Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh
and the Mercaz HaRav
talmudic college, and was ordained as a rabbi
. He worked as a religious teacher at several yeshivas.
He served in the Paratroopers Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces
during the Six-Day War
and was among the troops that captured the Temple Mount
. He later said that the Israeli victory should have become a national holiday. After the Six-Day War
he helped re-establish the Gush Etzion
settlement bloc in the West Bank
. He convinced Prime Minister Levi Eshkol
to grant permission to settle in Gush Etzion. He was badly wounded in the Yom Kippur War
of 1973 on the bank of the Suez canal
. He recovered and was amongst the founders of Gush Emunim
movement, which founded over 100 Israeli settlement
s. In 1975 he led the founding of Elon Moreh
, the first Israeli settlement
in the West Bank
, in Sebastia
.
In the 1981 elections
he was voted into the Knesset on the Tehiya list. He resigned on 7 March 1984, towards the end of the Knesset term, and was replaced by Zvi Shiloah
. After the evacuation of Yamit
in 1982, he announced his intention to build new settlements in parts of the Land of Israel
still not in Israeli hands. In 1995, he convinced Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
not to hand over Rachel's Tomb
to the Palestinian Authority. He tried to repeat that in 2008. Prior to Israel's disengagement from Gaza, he instructed youngsters in Neve Dekalim
in Gush Katif
to disrupt evacuation forces.
In 1988 he returned to the Knesset, this time as a member of the National Religious Party. He was re-elected in 1992
and 1996
. In 1996 he was appointed the NRP's parliamentary group chairman, but on 4 March 1999 he and Zvi Hendel left the party to establish a new faction, initially named Emunim, later re-named Tkuma.
Prior to the 1999 elections Tkuma formed an alliance with other small right-wing parties named the National Union. Porat was placed third on the Union's list, and was re-elected again. However, he resigned from the Knesset on 20 October that year, and was replaced by Hendel.
Porat died on 4 October 2011, aged 67, of cancer. He was survived by his wife, 10 children and 20 grandchildren.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i rabbi, educator and politician who served as a member of the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
for Tehiya
Tehiya
Tehiya , originally known as Banai , then Tehiya-Bnai , was a small right-wing political party in Israel that existed from 1979 until 1992...
, the National Religious Party
National Religious Party
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992...
, Tkuma and the National Union
National Union (Israel)
The National Union is an alliance of nationalist political parties in Israel. In the 2009 elections the National Union consisted of four parties: Moledet, Hatikva, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and Tkuma.-Background:...
between 1981 and 1984 and 1988 and 1999.
Biography
Porat was born in Kfar PinesKfar Pines
Kfar Pines is a religious moshav in northern Israel. Located to the north-east of Hadera, adjacent to Pardes Hanna-Karkur and Ein Iron, it falls under the jurisdiction of Menashe Regional Council...
in 1943, during the Mandate era. In 1944, his family moved to Kfar Etzion
Kfar Etzion
Kfar Etzion is a religious Israeli settlement and kibbutz located in the Judean Hills between Jerusalem and Hebron in the southern West Bank. It has a population of 400 and falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council...
. In early 1948, during the Arab riots of 1948
1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
The 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine lasted from 30 November 1947, the date of the United Nations vote in favour of the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the UN Partition Plan, to the termination of the British Mandate itself on 14 May 1948.This period constitutes the...
, Kfar Etzion was besieged and the children were evacuated to Jerusalem. Porat's father also moved there to arrange convoys. After the Kfar Etzion massacre
Kfar Etzion massacre
The Kfar Etzion massacre was an act committed by Arab armed forces on May 13, 1948, the day before the Declaration of Independence of the state of Israel.-Background:...
, his family settled in Kfar Pines. Porat studied at the Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva is the largest religious Zionist youth movement in the world, with over 125,000 members in 37 countries. It was established in Mandate Palestine in 1929.-History:...
yeshiva high school, Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh
Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh
Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh is a major yeshiva in Israel near the city of Ashdod and adjacent to Kvutzat Yavne.-History & Ideology:Founded in 1953, Kerem BeYavneh was the first Yeshivat Hesder. The first Rosh Yeshiva of Kerem B'Yavneh was the renowned scholar Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht...
and the Mercaz HaRav
Mercaz haRav
Mercaz HaRav , more properly, Mercaz HaRav Kook ), is a national-religious yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1924 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. It has become synonymous with his teachings....
talmudic college, and was ordained as a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. He worked as a religious teacher at several yeshivas.
He served in the Paratroopers Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
during the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
and was among the troops that captured the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
. He later said that the Israeli victory should have become a national holiday. After the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
he helped re-establish the Gush Etzion
Gush Etzion
Gush Etzion is a cluster of Israeli settlements located in the Judaean Mountains directly south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the West Bank, Palestinian territories. The core group includes four agricultural villages that were founded in 1940-1947 on property purchased in the 1920s and 1930s, and ...
settlement bloc in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. He convinced Prime Minister Levi Eshkol
Levi Eshkol
' served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.-Biography:...
to grant permission to settle in Gush Etzion. He was badly wounded in the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
of 1973 on the bank of the Suez canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. He recovered and was amongst the founders of Gush Emunim
Gush Emunim
Gush Emunim was an Israeli messianic and political movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While not formally established as an organization until 1974 in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, Gush Emunim sprang out of the conquests of the Six-Day War in 1967, encouraging...
movement, which founded over 100 Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
s. In 1975 he led the founding of Elon Moreh
Elon Moreh
Elon Moreh is an Israeli settlement located in the Samarian hills of the West Bank northeast of Nablus on the slopes of the Mount Kabir ridge....
, the first Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, in Sebastia
Sebastia
Sebastia can refer to:* Sebastia: Sivas, Turkey is the provincial capital of Sivas Province in Turkey. Sivas first appears in history as Seabaste...
.
In the 1981 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1981
Elections for the tenth Knesset were held in Israel on 30 June 1981. Despite last minute polls suggesting a victory for Shimon Peres's Alignment, Menachem Begin's Likud won by just one seat...
he was voted into the Knesset on the Tehiya list. He resigned on 7 March 1984, towards the end of the Knesset term, and was replaced by Zvi Shiloah
Zvi Shiloah
Zvi Shiloah was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Tehiya in 1984.-Biography:Born Zvi Langsam in Boryslav, Austria-Hungary , Shiloah was educated in a local gymnasium. During his youth he was a member of the Gordonia movement...
. After the evacuation of Yamit
Yamit
Yamit was an Israeli settlement in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula with a population of about 2,500 people .The settlement was established during Israel's occupation of the peninsula from the end of the 1967 Six-Day War, until that part of the Sinai was handed over to Egypt in 1982 as...
in 1982, he announced his intention to build new settlements in parts of the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
still not in Israeli hands. In 1995, he convinced Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
not to hand over Rachel's Tomb
Rachel's Tomb
Rachel's Tomb , also known as the Dome of Rachel, , is an ancient structure believed to be the burial place of the biblical matriarch Rachel. It is located on the outskirts of Bethlehem, a Palestinian city just south of Jerusalem, in the West Bank...
to the Palestinian Authority. He tried to repeat that in 2008. Prior to Israel's disengagement from Gaza, he instructed youngsters in Neve Dekalim
Neve Dekalim
Neve Dekalim was an Israeli settlement and a community in the Gush Katif settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip. It was founded in 1983 after the Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula, on sand dunes that were previously uninhabited. The village served as a regional center for the Gush Katif...
in Gush Katif
Gush Katif
Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Gush Katif was specifically mentioned by Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who fell victim to an assassin in 1995, as essential to Israel's security border. In August 2005, the Israeli army moved the 8,600...
to disrupt evacuation forces.
In 1988 he returned to the Knesset, this time as a member of the National Religious Party. He was re-elected in 1992
Israeli legislative election, 1992
Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June 1992. The result was a victory for the left, led by Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, though their win was at least partially due to several small right-wing parties narrowly failing to cross the electoral threshold and thus effectively...
and 1996
Israeli legislative election, 1996
Elections for the fourteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 29 May 1996. Voter turnout was 79.3%.The 1996 elections included two new changes, both designed to increase the stability of the Knesset. First, the Prime Minister was to be elected on a separate ballot from the remaining members of the...
. In 1996 he was appointed the NRP's parliamentary group chairman, but on 4 March 1999 he and Zvi Hendel left the party to establish a new faction, initially named Emunim, later re-named Tkuma.
Prior to the 1999 elections Tkuma formed an alliance with other small right-wing parties named the National Union. Porat was placed third on the Union's list, and was re-elected again. However, he resigned from the Knesset on 20 October that year, and was replaced by Hendel.
Porat died on 4 October 2011, aged 67, of cancer. He was survived by his wife, 10 children and 20 grandchildren.
Published works
- Et Ahai Anohi Mevakesh (first published as Et Anat Anohi Mevakesh)
- Me'at Min Ha'or
- Recorded lectures on Arutz Meir (MeirTV) by Machon Meir