Mateh Binyamin
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Region | West Bank | |
District | Judea and Samaria Area | |
Government | ||
• Type | Regional council (from 1980) | |
• Head of Municipality | Avi Roa | |
Population (2014) | ||
• Total | 57,000 | |
Website | Official website |
Mateh Binyamin Regional Council (Hebrew: מועצה אזורית מטה בנימין, Mo'atza Azorit Mateh Binyamin) is a regional council covering 42 Israeli settlements and outposts in the southern Samarian 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. 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, and this applies to all communities under the administration of Mateh Binyamin.
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.
This regional council provides various municipal services for the 42 settlements within its territory:
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 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 Israeli 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.