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"Yesha" (יֵשַׁ"ע) is a Hebrew acronym for Y'huda (Judea), Shomron (Samaria), and Aza (Gaza, until the 2005 disengagement). Today the term refers primarily to the Jewish communities in the West Bank, roughly 500K residents in 2024 spread across yishuvim, blocs, and outposts. This is loaded vocabulary, the same terrain has multiple Hebrew names depending on who's speaking (yishuvim vs hitnachluyot vs ma'achazim), and the choice signals position before any argument is made. Mo'etzet Yesha (the Yesha Council), founded in 1980, is the umbrella political body representing these communities to the Knesset and the Israeli public.
Cultural note, Word choice signals politics. "Mityashvim" (settlers, neutral-positive), "mitnachluyim" (settlers, neutral-negative depending on speaker), "yishuvim" (communities, soft), "hitnachluyot" (settlements, official Hebrew media), "ma'achazim" (illegal outposts, distinct legal status). The same person calling themselves a "mityashev" might be called a "mitnachel" by a critic. Master both, you'll hear both daily on Galei Tzahal news.
Yesha Geography
Settlement Categories
Yesha Politics
Security Vocabulary
Daily Life in Yesha
A Conversation in Efrat
A David-style oleh asks a longtime Efrat resident what "Yesha" actually means.