New Israeli Settlement 'Ma'ale Arugot' Inaugurated in Gush Etzion

The new settlement of Ma'ale Arugot was officially inaugurated in the Gush Etzion region on Wednesday, marking the third settlement established this week. Located on the axis connecting the western and eastern parts of Gush Etzion, its establishment is intended to strengthen Israeli presence and create an unbroken settlement link across the region.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by prominent Israeli officials, including Finance Minister and Deputy Defense Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Minister Ze'ev Elkin, Diaspora and Anti-Semitism Minister Amichai Chikli, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismut, and Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal, alongside other lawmakers, settlement leaders, families, and residents.

Minister Smotrich stated that the establishment of Ma'ale Arugot is part of a broader settlement "revolution" in Judea and Samaria, aiming to prevent the formation of a Palestinian state. He criticized a potential future government, referring to it as "the Eisenkot-Lieberman-Golan government," for seeking to reverse settlement progress. Smotrich emphasized that connecting western and eastern Gush Etzion through this settlement is a strategic move to prevent Palestinian territorial contiguity and potential terror.

Minister Elkin described the settlement's founding as symbolic of the current administration's achievements in settlement expansion, highlighting the strategic importance of linking the two halves of Gush Etzion. Minister Chikli noted the inauguration of another settlement, Ne'ot, in northern Samaria just two days prior, framing Ma'ale Arugot as part of a settlement momentum crucial for Israel's future, especially with upcoming elections.

Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal underscored Ma'ale Arugot's strategic value in preventing a Palestinian territorial continuum from Bethlehem towards Hebron. He explained that the settlement disrupts previous plans that would have left a gap between the western and eastern sections of Gush Etzion, thereby strengthening the overall settlement continuity in the area, drawing a parallel to the controversial E1 plan near Jerusalem.