Mateh Binyamin Regional Council (, 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.
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. The region in which the Binyamin settlements are located is referred to as the Binyamin Region.
Much of the international community, with the notable exception of the United States, 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 This regional council provides various municipal services for the 47 settlements within its territory:
Name Type Founded Population (2022) Adei Ad Community settlement 1990 Ahia Community settlement 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 Community settlement 2001 Ganei Modi'in Community settlement 1985 2,735 Geva Binyamin (Adam) Community settlement 1984 5,913 Giv'at Asaf Community settlement 2001 Givat Harel Neighbourhood 1998 Neighbourhood 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 Community settlement 2003 Kerem Reim Community settlement 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, 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. Ginot Aryeh was established in 2001 but evacuated in 2004.
Several settlements that were previously outposts were legalized in the period from 2023 to 2026.
Heads of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council +NameTook officeLeft office19792008200820182018Incumbent
Voting Patterns In the 2022 election, 88 percent of voters in the regional council voted for the parties of the right-wing coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, while 12 percent voted for the parties of the center-left coalition led by Yair Lapid and 0.05 percent voted for the Arab parties.
References
External links Council website