Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Ateret

Ateret is an Israeli settlement organized as a community settlement in the West Bank. Located in the municipal jurisdiction of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, it is located on a hilltop, at an elevation of 760 metres, occupying land confiscated by Israel from three nearby Palestinian villages: Ajjul, 'Atara, and Umm Safa. In 2024 it had a population of 716.

Last revised
Jun 12, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
311 w
Citations
11
Source
Wikipedia ↗

Ateret
Etymology: Crown
Ateret
Show map of the Central West Bank
Ateret
Show map of the West Bank
Coordinates: 31°59′59″N 35°10′37″E / 31.99972°N 35.17694°E / 31.99972; 35.17694
CountryPalestine
DistrictJudea and Samaria Area
CouncilMateh Binyamin
RegionWest Bank
Founded1981
Founded byResidents of Petah Tikva
Population
 (2024)1
716

Ateret (Hebrew: עטרת, lit. 'Crown') is an Israeli settlement organized as a community settlement in the West Bank. Located in the municipal jurisdiction of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, it is located on a hilltop, at an elevation of 760 metres, occupying land confiscated by Israel from three nearby Palestinian villages: Ajjul,2 'Atara,3 and Umm Safa.4 In 2024 it had a population of 716.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.567

Etymology

Initially, the locality was called Neve Tzof B, due to its proximity to the existing Neve Tzuf locality . Later, the name "Ateret" was given, in connection with the name of the biblical city "Atarot" in the land of the Tribe of Ephraim. This is due to the proximity to the village of Atara, which preserves this name.

History

The village was founded in August 1981 by a group, led by Tzvi Halamish, of eight families and a few singles.8

According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated land from three nearby Palestinian villages in order to construct Ateret:

References

References

  1. "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  2. 'Ajjul Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 17
  3. Atara Village profile, ARIJ, p. 18
  4. Umm Safa Village Profile, ARIJ p. 16
  5. "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  6. McCarthy, Rory. Palestine calls for release of intifada leader in prisoner swap with Israel The Guardian, 29 November 2009
  7. Valk, Guus. Under construction: utopian city for Palestinian yuppies Archived 2010-04-06 at the Wayback Machine NRC Handelsblad. 2 April 2010
  8. Ateret