Mateh Binyamin Regional Council

Mateh Binyamin Regional Council (Hebrew: מועצה אזורית מטה בנימין, Mo'atza Azorit Mateh Binyamin, Lit. Council for the Region of the Tribe of Benjamin) is a regional council governing 47 Israeli settlements and outposts in the West Bank. The council's jurisdiction is from the Jordan valley in the east to the Samarian foothills in the west, and from the Shiloh creek in the north to the Jerusalem Mountains in the south.

Mateh Binyamin
מטה בנימין
Regional council (from 1980)
The new council building (from December 2020) at Sha'ar Binyamin
The new council building (from December 2020) at Sha'ar Binyamin
Official logo of Mateh Binyamin
Location of Mateh Binyamin
RegionWest Bank
DistrictJudea and Samaria Area
Government
 • Head of MunicipalityIsrael Ganz [he]
Population
 (2019)
 • Total86,785
WebsiteOfficial website

The seat of the council is Psagot.[1] The council is named for the ancient Israelite tribe of Benjamin, whose territory roughly corresponds to that of the council. The region in which the Binyamin settlements are located is referred to as the Binyamin Region.

The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal, but the state of Israel disputes this, and this applies to all communities under the administration of Mateh Binyamin.

List of settlements

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This regional council provides various municipal services for the 47 settlements within its territory:

Name Type Founded Population (2022)
Adei Ad Israeli outpost 1990
Ahia Israeli outpost 1997
Almon (Anatot) Community settlement 1982 1,467
Alon Community settlement 1990 1,111
Amichai Community settlement 2017 264
Ateret Community settlement 1981 891
Beit Horon Community settlement 1977 1,442
Dolev Community settlement 1983 1,613
Eli Community settlement 1984 4,701
Esh Kodesh Israeli outpost 2001
Ganei Modi'in Community settlement 1985 2,735
Geva Binyamin (Adam) Community settlement 1984 5,913
Giv'at Asaf Israeli outpost 2001
Givat Harel Neighbourhood 1998
Givat HaRoeh [he] Community settlement 2003
Giv'on HaHadasha Community settlement 1981 996
Halamish (Neve Tzuf) Community settlement 1977 1,590
Harasha Community settlement 1997
Hashmonaim Community settlement 1987 2,589
Keeda Israeli outpost 2003
Kerem Reim Israeli outpost 2009
Kfar Adumim Community settlement 1979 4,957
Kfar HaOranim (Menora/Giv'at Ehud) Community settlement 1997 2,604
Kokhav HaShahar Community settlement 1980 2,501
Kokhav Ya'akov Community settlement 1984 9,794
Ma'ale Levona Community settlement 1984 1,018
Ma'ale Mikhmas Community settlement 1981 1,744
Matityahu Community settlement 1981 920
Mevo Horon Moshav 1969 2,669
Migron Community settlement 1999 260
Mitzpe Danny Israeli outpost 1998
Mitzpe Hagit Israeli outpost 1999
Mitzpe Kramim Israeli outpost 1999
Mitzpe Yeriho Community settlement 1976 2,657
Na'ale Community settlement 1988 2,839
Nahliel Community settlement 1984 743
Neria (Talmon Bet/North) Community settlement 1991
Neveh Erez Israeli outpost 2001
Nili Community settlement 1981 2,059
Nofei Prat Community settlement 1992
Ofra Community settlement 1975 3,497
Psagot Community settlement 1981 2,086
Rimonim Community settlement 1980 707
Shiloh Community settlement 1978 5,072
Shvut Rachel Community settlement 1992
Talmon Community settlement 1989 5,379
Tel Zion Community settlement 2000

The community 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 Zion was a semiautonomous neighbourhood of Kokhav Ya'akov, ultimately becoming a separate locality in 2023,[2] while Zeit Ra'anan is a semiautonomous neighbourhood of Talmon. Amona was dismantled by government order in 2016 and a new site was authorized in the Shiloh Bloc.[3] Ginot Aryeh was established in 2001 but evacuated in 2004.[4]

Heads of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council

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Name Took Office Left Office
Pinchas Wallerstein [he] 1979 2008
Avi Roeh [he][5] 2008 2018
Israel Ganz [he] 2018 Incumbent

References

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  1. ^ "Psagot - Local Authority Details" (in Hebrew). Israeli Ministry of the Interior. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  2. ^ Tovah Lazaroff (February 3, 2023). "Israel shores up West Bank settlements after Netanyahu's Paris visit". The Jerusalem Post.
  3. ^ Jacob Magid (June 20, 2017). "Ground broken for first new West Bank settlement in 25 years". Times of Israel.
  4. ^ Craig S. Smith (December 29, 2003). "Israel Orders the Evacuation of Four Unauthorized Outposts". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Avi Roeh Chosen to Lead Binyamin Region". Israel National News. November 28, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2007.
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31°54′N 35°13′E / 31.900°N 35.217°E / 31.900; 35.217