Matte Binyamin Regional Council
Encyclopedia
Mateh Binyamin Regional Council is a regional council covering 42 Israeli settlement
s in the southern Samaria
n hills of the West Bank
. The seat
of the council is Psagot
. The council is named for the ancient Israelite
tribe of Benjamin
, whose territory roughly corresponds to that of the council.
In November 2007, Avi Roeh was elected head of the council. The previous head, Pinchas Wallerstein stepped down after being in the position for 28 years.
The communal settlement
of Ofarim was joined with the adjacent local council
of Beit Aryeh in 2003 and has ceased to exist as an independent entity. Tel Tzion is a semiautonomous neighbourhood of Kokhav Ya'akov
, though it is set to ultimately become a separate locality, while Zeit Ra'anan is a semiautonomous neighbourhood of Talmon
.
Settlements to be included on the Israeli side of the West Bank Barrier include those in or near the Modi'in bloc (Hashmonaim
, Matityahu
, Na'ale
, Nili), Mevo Horon
in the Latrun
area, Beit Horon
and Giv'on HaHadasha northwest of Jerusalem, and Almon
and Kfar Adumim
in the Adummim
area east of Jerusalem.
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 the southern Samaria
Samaria
Samaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
n hills of 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...
. The seat
Seat (legal entity)
In strict legal language, the term seat defines the seat of a corporation or organisation as a legal entity, indicating where the headquarters of this entity are located...
of the council is Psagot
Psagot
Psagot is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank located north of Jerusalem on Tawil hill adjacent to Ramallah, al-Bireh, and Kokhav Ya'akov. Psagot, established in 1981, falls under the jurisdiction of Binyamin Regional Council, with the council's headquarters located there...
. The council is named for the ancient Israelite
History of ancient Israel and Judah
Israel and Judah were related Iron Age kingdoms of ancient Palestine. The earliest known reference to the name Israel in archaeological records is in the Merneptah stele, an Egyptian record of c. 1209 BCE. By the 9th century BCE the Kingdom of Israel had emerged as an important local power before...
tribe of Benjamin
Tribe of Benjamin
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Benjamin בִּנְיָמִין was one of the Tribes of Israel.From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BCE, the Tribe of Benjamin was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes...
, whose territory roughly corresponds to that of the council.
In November 2007, Avi Roeh was elected head of the council. The previous head, Pinchas Wallerstein stepped down after being in the position for 28 years.
List of settlements
This regional council provides various municipal services for the 42 settlements within its territory:- Ahia
- Adei AdAdei AdAdei Ad is an Israeli settlement outpost in the West Bank. Located near Shvut Rachel, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council.The outpost was established in 1998 by a group of students at the Sdor Amir yeshiva in Shvut Rachel....
- AlmonAlmon, Mateh BinyaminAlmon , also known as Anatot , is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located near Jerusalem, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
(Anatot) - Alon
- AmonaAmonaAmona is an Israeli settlement in the central West Bank, on a hill overlooking Ofra. Located within the municipal boundaries of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, the village was founded in 1997 on a hilltop of privately owned Palestinian land and inhabited by young settlers from Ofra.By late...
- AteretAteretAteret is a village and Israeli settlement in the Samarian hills of the West Bank located in the municipal jurisdiction of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council 40 km north-west of Jerusalem on a hilltop at an elevation of 760 metres. To the west, the view is not obstructed from Hadera in the...
- Beit HoronBeit HoronBeit Horon is an Israeli settlement and communal village bordering Route 443, the biblical pass of Beit Horon, between Modi'in and Jerusalem. Beit Horon receives municipal services from the Matte Binyamin Regional Council...
- DolevDolevDolev is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located near Jerusalem, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,100...
- Eli
- Esh KodeshEsh KodeshEsh Kodesh is an Israeli settlement outpost in the West Bank. Located near Shvut Rachel, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
- Geva BinyaminGeva BinyaminGeva Binyamin , also known as Adam , is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located five kilometers north-west of Jerusalem, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
(Adam) - Giv'at Har'elGiv'at Har'elGivat Harel is an Israeli settlement established in 1998 in the jurisdiction of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council in the northern West Bank north of Nahal Shilo...
- Giv'on HaHadasha
- HarashaHarashaHarasha, or Haresha , is a Jewish village and Israeli settlement in the Binyamin region of the northern section of the West Bank, located in the Dolev region near Talmon...
- HashmonaimHashmonaimHashmonaim is an Israeli settlement in the Binyamin Region, in the northern section of the West Bank. The settlement located off Route 443, and on Route 446, which connects between Modi'in and Ariel. Less than a kilometer East of Hashmonaim, is the major Haredi settelment, Modi'in Illit , the...
- KeedaKeedaKeida is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank named after a genus of flower that grows in the region. It is situated just off the Allon Road, a five minute drive east of Shilo. Other Israeli villages in the area include Shvut Rachel, Giv'at Har'el, Esh Kodesh, and Adei Ad...
- Kfar AdumimKfar AdumimKfar Adumim is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Judean Desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 2,500...
- Kfar HaOranimKfar HaOranimKfar HaOranim , also known as Menora or Giv'at Ehud, is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is contiguous with Lapid and near to the major city of Modi'in, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
(Menora/Giv'at Ehud) - Kokhav HaShaharKokhav HaShaharKokhav HaShahar is an Israeli settlement in the Binyamin region of northern West Bank. It is located on a mountain ridge overlooking the Jordan Valley, and is accessible via the Allon Road. Kokhav HaShahar falls under the municipal jurisdiction of the Matte Binyamin Regional Council...
- Kokhav Ya'akovKokhav Ya'akovKokhav Ya'akov is a religious communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is located between Ramah in Benjamin and Bet-El near al-Bireh, and is about 10 minutes away by car from the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze'ev and Neve Yaakov. It falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin...
- Ma'ale LevonaMa'ale LevonaMa'ale Levona is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. "Ma'ale Levonah" means "Ascent of Frankincense" in Hebrew. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.It overlooks its namesake, an...
- Ma'ale MikhmasMa'ale MikhmasMa'ale Mikhmas is an Israeli settlement and a village in the Binyamin region of the northern West Bank and under the municipal responsibility of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
- MatityahuMatityahu, Mateh BinyaminMatityahu is a moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank, located approximately midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, near the city of Modi'in. Matityahu was initially founded in 1981 by a group of English-speaking immigrants from the United States and elsewhere, and it is now home to a...
- Mevo HoronMevo HoronMevo Horon is an Israeli settlement and religious moshav shitufi and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located near Latrun and Modi'in, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,200...
- Migron
- Mitzpe DaniMitzpe DaniMitzpe Dani is an Israeli settlement outpost in the West Bank. Located near Ma'ale Mikhmas, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
- Mitzpe HagitMitzpe HagitMitzpe Hagit is an Israeli settlement outpost in the West Bank. Located near Kfar Adumim, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
- Mitzpe KramimMitzpe KramimMitzpe Kramim is an Israeli settlement outpost in the West Bank. Located on mountain ridge overlooking the Jordan River Valley in the West Bank, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council....
- Mitzpe Yeriho
- Na'aleNa'aleNa'ale is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located near Modi'in, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
- NahlielNahlielNahliel is an Haredi communal settlement in the West Bank. Located around twenty kilometres from Modi'in, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 278...
- NeriaNeria, Mateh BinyaminNeria , also known as Talmon Tzafon or Talmon Bet is a national-religious communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located next to Talmon and between Modi'in Illit and Ramallah, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. It has a population of around 145 families...
(Talmon Bet/North) - Neveh ErezNeveh ErezNeveh Erez , also known as Mitzpe Erez , is an Israeli settlement outpost in the West Bank. Located near Ma'ale Mikhmas, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. It is home to around 8 families....
- HalamishHalamishHalamish , also known as Neveh Tzuf , is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank, located in the southwestern Samarian hills to the north of Ramallah, 10.7 kilometers east of the Green line. The Orthodox Jewish community with a population of 1,054 was established in 1977...
(Neve Tzuf) - Nili
- Nofei PratNofei PratNofei Prat is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located near Ma'ale Adumim, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2006 there were around 90 families living in the settlement. Currently it populates 140 families...
- OfraOfraOfra is an Israeli settlement located in the northern West Bank in the jurisdiction of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. It is situated on the main road between Jerusalem and Nablus , 25 km from Jerusalem and has 3,200 inhabitants ....
- PsagotPsagotPsagot is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank located north of Jerusalem on Tawil hill adjacent to Ramallah, al-Bireh, and Kokhav Ya'akov. Psagot, established in 1981, falls under the jurisdiction of Binyamin Regional Council, with the council's headquarters located there...
- RimonimRimonimRimonim , is an Israeli settlement located on the Allon Road in the West Bank in the jurisdiction of the Matte Binyamin Regional Council about a twenty minute drive east from Jerusalem. As of 2011, the population of the village was about 150 families...
- Sha'ar Binyamin Industrial Zone
- Shilo
- Shvut RachelShvut RachelShvut Rachel is an Israeli settlement and a city in the West Bank, located 30 miles north of Jerusalem. Shvut Rachel is located in the Shiloh area in Binyamin. Nearby Israeli settlements include Shilo, Giv'at Har'el, Esh Kodesh, Keeda, and Adei Ad. The village, administrated by the Matte Binyamin...
- TalmonTalmonTalmon , is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the West Binyamin at an elevation of nearly 600 metres and 18 km east of the Modiin, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
The communal settlement
Communal settlement (Israel)
A community settlement is a type of town in Israel. While in an ordinary town anyone may buy property, in a community settlement the town's residents, who are organized in a cooperative, can veto a sale of a house or a business to an undesirable buyer....
of Ofarim was joined with the adjacent local council
Local council (Israel)
Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being cities and regional councils. As of 2003, there were 144 local councils in Israel, these being settlements which pass a minimum threshold enough to justify their operations as independent...
of Beit Aryeh in 2003 and has ceased to exist as an independent entity. Tel Tzion is a semiautonomous neighbourhood of Kokhav Ya'akov
Kokhav Ya'akov
Kokhav Ya'akov is a religious communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is located between Ramah in Benjamin and Bet-El near al-Bireh, and is about 10 minutes away by car from the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze'ev and Neve Yaakov. It falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin...
, though it is set to ultimately become a separate locality, while Zeit Ra'anan is a semiautonomous neighbourhood of Talmon
Talmon
Talmon , is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the West Binyamin at an elevation of nearly 600 metres and 18 km east of the Modiin, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
.
Settlements to be included on the Israeli side of the West Bank Barrier include those in or near the Modi'in bloc (Hashmonaim
Hashmonaim
Hashmonaim is an Israeli settlement in the Binyamin Region, in the northern section of the West Bank. The settlement located off Route 443, and on Route 446, which connects between Modi'in and Ariel. Less than a kilometer East of Hashmonaim, is the major Haredi settelment, Modi'in Illit , the...
, Matityahu
Matityahu, Mateh Binyamin
Matityahu is a moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank, located approximately midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, near the city of Modi'in. Matityahu was initially founded in 1981 by a group of English-speaking immigrants from the United States and elsewhere, and it is now home to a...
, Na'ale
Na'ale
Na'ale is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located near Modi'in, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
, Nili), Mevo Horon
Mevo Horon
Mevo Horon is an Israeli settlement and religious moshav shitufi and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located near Latrun and Modi'in, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,200...
in the Latrun
Latrun
Latrun is a strategic hilltop in the Ayalon Valley in Israel overlooking the road to Jerusalem. It is located 25 kilometers west of Jerusalem and 14 kilometers southeast of Ramla.-Etymology:...
area, Beit Horon
Beit Horon
Beit Horon is an Israeli settlement and communal village bordering Route 443, the biblical pass of Beit Horon, between Modi'in and Jerusalem. Beit Horon receives municipal services from the Matte Binyamin Regional Council...
and Giv'on HaHadasha northwest of Jerusalem, and Almon
Almon, Mateh Binyamin
Almon , also known as Anatot , is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located near Jerusalem, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
and Kfar Adumim
Kfar Adumim
Kfar Adumim is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Judean Desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 2,500...
in the Adummim
Adummim
Adummim - the red ones, a place apparently on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem, "on the south side of the torrent" Wady Kelt, looking toward Gilgal, mentioned Josh. 15:7; 18:17...
area east of Jerusalem.