A new settlement officially inaugurated in Israel: "The map of the country is changing for generations"
The Ma'ale Arugot settlement was officially inaugurated at an event attended by ministers, Knesset members, settlement leaders, and residents. The settlement is located at a point connecting the west of Gush Etzion to its east, and the regional council defines its establishment as a significant move to connect the parts of the bloc.
The new settlement of Ma'ale Arugot in Gush Etzion was officially inaugurated this evening at a festive event attended by ministers, Knesset members, settlement leaders, families, and residents. The settlement is located on the axis connecting the west of Gush Etzion to its east, and the Gush Etzion Regional Council noted that its establishment is intended to strengthen the connection between the parts of the bloc.
The event was attended by Minister of Finance and Minister in the Ministry of Defense Bezalel Smotrich, Minister Ze'ev Elkin, Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee MK Boaz Bismuth, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Limor Son Har-Melech, Chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee MK Simcha Rothman, MK Sharren Haskel, Head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council Yaron Rosenthal, Secretary-General of Amana Ze'ev Hever, Head of the Settlement Division Yishai Marling, as well as settlement leaders, families, and residents.
Ma'ale Arugot is located in an area that connects the west of Gush Etzion, in the Efrat area, with the east of the bloc, in the Tekoa area. The settlement connects to the area via Route 3157, which links it to other central roads in the region.
Head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Yaron Rosenthal, said at the event that for years there had been talk about the need to connect the two parts of the bloc, and that the establishment of the settlement turns the plan into reality on the ground. According to him, Ma'ale Arugot is of strategic importance for connecting the west of the bloc to its east.
Minister Ze'ev Elkin also addressed the connection between the parts of Gush Etzion and said that it is a significant event for him as a resident of the bloc. According to him, over the years there was a struggle surrounding the construction of a fence that would separate its parts, and the establishment of Ma'ale Arugot symbolizes the connection between them.
Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich said:
"We have connected the west and east of Gush Etzion in a significant strategic move that will prevent Palestinian terror continuity. Alongside the establishment of the settlement, we have established many other settlements and farms in Gush Etzion, and approved thousands of housing units in a historic quantity that will change the map of the State of Israel for generations."
Ma'ale Arugot is a mixed community settlement with the status of a settlement, belonging to the Gush Etzion Regional Council. It is located on a hill above the Amos junction, near the approaches to the Arugot stream, at an altitude of about 760 meters above sea level. Its location allows for observation eastward toward the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, and Transjordan. The Tekoa Valley, Mount Herodium, and the Kanov ridge are also located in the area.
In terms of transportation, the settlement is located on the axis between the two parts of Gush Etzion. Route 3157 connects it in the east to Route 356, which leads to the Tekoa and Mezad area, and in the west to Route 60 via the Efrat South junction. Route 60 leads north toward Jerusalem and south toward Kiryat Arba, while Route 367 connects the area to the Judean Lowlands and Beit Shemesh.
The establishment of Ma'ale Arugot was approved in April 2026 as part of the Political-Security Cabinet's decision on the establishment and regulation of 34 settlement points throughout Judea and Samaria. The temporary name chosen for the settlement was given after its location near the approaches to the Arugot stream.
Following the decision to establish the settlement, a representative from the land department of the Gush Etzion Regional Council went up to the point, and later families from a settlement core established for the purpose of founding the settlement joined him. At the beginning of the way, the residents lived in caravans and worked to develop the place and add more families. In August 2026, 8 families were already living in Ma'ale Arugot, and the settlement consisted mainly of temporary residential buildings and basic infrastructure.
