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JNF to Cut Back Most of Its Funding of Programs at West Bank Settler Farm Outposts -
A settler from a nearby farm outpost sits above the Bedouin village of Ras Ein al-Auja with his flock in January. The village was forced to flee by the end of January. Credit: Itai Ron
The Jewish National Fund, known in Hebrew as Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, is stopping most of its funding of programs in settler outpost farms in the West Bank.
JNF Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky told Haaretz that a formal decision to end such activities was passed unanimously by the organization's executive committee at its last meeting held two weeks ago.
"Regretfully, under the guise of education, it turned out we were supporting activities aimed at bringing youth at risk to the settlements to help dispossess Palestinians from their land," he said.
Eyal Ostrinsky became the head of the Jewish National Fund in January. Credit: Reuven Kopitchinski
"These outposts being set up by [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Orit] Strock, we won't be part of it anymore," said Ostrinsky, referring to two of the most radical ministers in the government, both of whom have promoted illegal settler activity.
Under pressure from its representatives from the Reform movement, the JNF board of directors voted already last year to temporarily freeze all funding to the outpost farms. Upon the recommendation of Ostrinsky, who took over as head of the organization in January, the executive committee decided the allocations would not be renewed, except in a few cases where it had been determined that they were being used to fund "purely educational" programs.
He has also already announced that under his leadership, JNF will no longer purchase land in the West Bank. Its plans to expand certain settlements through land acquisitions met fierce pushback several years ago when they came up for approval at the board of directors.
Haaretz correspondent Hagar Shezaf reported in 2023 that JNF had invested millions of shekels in a program that provides at-risk youth with vocational training at farm outposts in the West Bank. These farm outposts – mostly shepherding farms – have become the most common form of West Bank outposts, all of which are illegal, even under Israeli law. The settlers often send their flocks to eat crops cultivated by local Palestinians, thereby causing them financial losses. They also have them graze near Palestinian homes in an attempt to force them to flee.
A new outpost being built by Israeli settlers in the South Hebron Hills region of the West Bank, in October 2025. The Palestinian village of Zweidin is visible in the background. Credit: Moti Milrod
The JNF funds were handed over to several groups which, under the guise of educational and vocational activities, recruited school dropouts to these outposts. Although participants were meant to return to their homes after completing their training programs, many stayed on and became involved in activities targeting Palestinians. As a result, the JNF, through its program, inadvertently helped transform many at-risk youth into "hilltop youth" – a phrase often used to describe the young extremist settlers who launch violent attacks against Palestinians from illegal outposts in the West Bank.
Among the groups that received funding from the JNF for these purposes were Artzenu, an organization that has recruited volunteers to one of the most violent settler outposts, and the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, which governs outposts and settlements in the central West Bank. According to the decision taken at the last executive committee meeting, neither will receive any more funding from JNF.
A report published in late 2024 by the Israeli anti-occupation groups Peace Now and Kerem Navot found that the JNF had allocated 4.7 million shekels to these programs in the outposts since 2021. Close to 4 million shekels of that total went to Artzenu and Mateh Binyamin.
A settler near the Palestinian village of Tuba, in the South Hebron Hills, wearing an Artzenu T-shirt with a JNF logo in 2024. Credit: Ali Awad
"These youths, who live at the outposts, often participate in violent actions against Palestinians," according to the report. "This funding serves as a critical resource that helps keep these youths in the outposts and incentivizes the arrival of more young Israelis."
Another recipient of the JNF funding in the outposts is a nonprofit that runs a program for at-risk ultra-Orthodox youth at an outpost called Lechatchila near the Mitzpeh Yericho settlement. Although it is known to be a particularly violent outpost, JNF intends to renew funding of the vocational training program located there.
"This particular program is not being used to seize land from Palestinians, so we didn't see a reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater," said Ostrinsky, explaining the decision.
The aftermath of a violent settler attack on Khalet al-Sidra, a Bedouin community northeast of Ramallah, in January. The community fled less than two months later. Credit: Itai Ron
According to the report published by Peace Now and Kerem Navot, this particular outpost program received close to 900,000 shekels from JNF in 2023 and 2024.
Ostrinsky, who has longstanding ties to the left-leaning Labor party (which recently merged with Meretz to form the Democrats) was chosen to head JNF during the World Zionist Congress held in Jerusalem in October.
Although the religious right-wing parties and movements enjoy a small majority in the Congress – often described as the "parliament of the Jewish people" – the liberal camp was able to exploit political infighting within Likud to push through his candidacy. The JNF is the most important asset controlled by the international Zionist movement.
JNF to Cut Back Most of Its Funding of Programs at West Bank Settler Farm Outposts -
A settler from a nearby farm outpost sits above the Bedouin village of Ras Ein al-Auja with his flock in January. The village was forced to flee by the end of January. Credit: Itai Ron
The Jewish National Fund, known in Hebrew as Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, is stopping most of its funding of programs in settler outpost farms in the West Bank.
JNF Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky told Haaretz that a formal decision to end such activities was passed unanimously by the organization's executive committee at its last meeting held two weeks ago.
"Regretfully, under the guise of education, it turned out we were supporting activities aimed at bringing youth at risk to the settlements to help dispossess Palestinians from their land," he said.
Eyal Ostrinsky became the head of the Jewish National Fund in January. Credit: Reuven Kopitchinski
"These outposts being set up by [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Orit] Strock, we won't be part of it anymore," said Ostrinsky, referring to two of the most radical ministers in the government, both of whom have promoted illegal settler activity.
Under pressure from its representatives from the Reform movement, the JNF board of directors voted already last year to temporarily freeze all funding to the outpost farms. Upon the recommendation of Ostrinsky, who took over as head of the organization in January, the executive committee decided the allocations would not be renewed, except in a few cases where it had been determined that they were being used to fund "purely educational" programs.
He has also already announced that under his leadership, JNF will no longer purchase land in the West Bank. Its plans to expand certain settlements through land acquisitions met fierce pushback several years ago when they came up for approval at the board of directors.
Haaretz correspondent Hagar Shezaf reported in 2023 that JNF had invested millions of shekels in a program that provides at-risk youth with vocational training at farm outposts in the West Bank. These farm outposts – mostly shepherding farms – have become the most common form of West Bank outposts, all of which are illegal, even under Israeli law. The settlers often send their flocks to eat crops cultivated by local Palestinians, thereby causing them financial losses. They also have them graze near Palestinian homes in an attempt to force them to flee.
A new outpost being built by Israeli settlers in the South Hebron Hills region of the West Bank, in October 2025. The Palestinian village of Zweidin is visible in the background. Credit: Moti Milrod
The JNF funds were handed over to several groups which, under the guise of educational and vocational activities, recruited school dropouts to these outposts. Although participants were meant to return to their homes after completing their training programs, many stayed on and became involved in activities targeting Palestinians. As a result, the JNF, through its program, inadvertently helped transform many at-risk youth into "hilltop youth" – a phrase often used to describe the young extremist settlers who launch violent attacks against Palestinians from illegal outposts in the West Bank.
Among the groups that received funding from the JNF for these purposes were Artzenu, an organization that has recruited volunteers to one of the most violent settler outposts, and the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, which governs outposts and settlements in the central West Bank. According to the decision taken at the last executive committee meeting, neither will receive any more funding from JNF.
A report published in late 2024 by the Israeli anti-occupation groups Peace Now and Kerem Navot found that the JNF had allocated 4.7 million shekels to these programs in the outposts since 2021. Close to 4 million shekels of that total went to Artzenu and Mateh Binyamin.
A settler near the Palestinian village of Tuba, in the South Hebron Hills, wearing an Artzenu T-shirt with a JNF logo in 2024. Credit: Ali Awad
"These youths, who live at the outposts, often participate in violent actions against Palestinians," according to the report. "This funding serves as a critical resource that helps keep these youths in the outposts and incentivizes the arrival of more young Israelis."
Another recipient of the JNF funding in the outposts is a nonprofit that runs a program for at-risk ultra-Orthodox youth at an outpost called Lechatchila near the Mitzpeh Yericho settlement. Although it is known to be a particularly violent outpost, JNF intends to renew funding of the vocational training program located there.
"This particular program is not being used to seize land from Palestinians, so we didn't see a reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater," said Ostrinsky, explaining the decision.
The aftermath of a violent settler attack on Khalet al-Sidra, a Bedouin community northeast of Ramallah, in January. The community fled less than two months later. Credit: Itai Ron
According to the report published by Peace Now and Kerem Navot, this particular outpost program received close to 900,000 shekels from JNF in 2023 and 2024.
Ostrinsky, who has longstanding ties to the left-leaning Labor party (which recently merged with Meretz to form the Democrats) was chosen to head JNF during the World Zionist Congress held in Jerusalem in October.
Although the religious right-wing parties and movements enjoy a small majority in the Congress – often described as the "parliament of the Jewish people" – the liberal camp was able to exploit political infighting within Likud to push through his candidacy. The JNF is the most important asset controlled by the international Zionist movement.