Ori Kallner

Ori Kallner 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. He defeated incumbent Haim Rokach in the February 2024 Israeli municipal elections. Kallner won 67.5 percent of the vote, against 27.1 percent for Rokach and 5.5 percent for a third candidate, Batya Gottlieb. 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.

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.

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. 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.