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

The new Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Arugot in the Gush Etzion bloc was officially inaugurated in a festive ceremony attended by government ministers, Knesset members, settlement leaders, families, and residents. Located on the axis connecting the western and eastern parts of Gush Etzion, the settlement's establishment is intended to strengthen the connection between these areas.

Among the dignitaries present were Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, Minister Ze'ev Elkin, Minister of Diaspora Affairs and the Fight Against Antisemitism Amichai Chikli, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Boaz Bismuth, Deputy Knesset Speaker MK Limor Son Har Melech, Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chairman MK Simcha Rothman, MK Sharen Haskel, Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal, and the head of the Settlement Division, Yishai Merling.

Ma'ale Arugot is situated on a hill overlooking the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea, connecting to major roads that link it to Jerusalem, Hebron, and other areas. Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal stated that the settlement's creation fulfills a long-standing need to connect the western and eastern sections of the bloc, calling it strategically important.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich emphasized the settlement's strategic significance in preventing Palestinian terror continuity, adding that numerous other settlements and farms have been established and thousands of housing units approved in Gush Etzion, which he believes will change the map of Israel for generations. The settlement, classified as a mixed community settlement, was approved in April 2026 as part of a broader government decision to establish and regulate 34 settlement points in the West Bank.

The settlement's temporary name, Ma'ale Arugot, derives from its proximity to the springs of the Arugot stream. Initial residents lived in caravans, working to develop the site and attract more families. By August 2026, eight families resided in Ma'ale Arugot, which primarily consisted of temporary housing and basic infrastructure at that time.