Ariel (Israeli settlement)
Ariel (Hebrew: אֲרִיאֵל; Arabic: اريئيل) is an Israeli settlement organized as a city council in the central West Bank, part of the Israeli-occupied territories, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the Green Line and 34 kilometres (21 mi) west of the Jordan border. Ariel was first established in 1978 and its population was 20,520 in 2022, composed of veteran and young Israelis, English-speaking immigrants, and immigrants from the former Soviet Union, with an additional influx of above 10,000 students from Ariel University. It is the fourth largest Israeli settlement in the West Bank, after Modi'in Illit, Beitar Illit, and Ma'ale Adumim.
Ariel
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|---|---|
City (from 1998) | |
| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| • ISO 259 | ʔariˀel |
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Ariel Location of Ariel Ariel Ariel (the West Bank) | |
| Coordinates: 32°6′22″N 35°11′16″E | |
| Region | West Bank |
| District | Judea and Samaria Area |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Eliyahu Shaviro |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14,677 dunams (14.677 km2 or 5.667 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | |
| • Total | 20,520 |
| • Density | 1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi) |
| Name meaning | Lion of God |
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.
Ariel's jurisdiction spans 14,677 dunams (14.677 km2; 5.667 sq mi), and borders the Palestinian towns and villages Salfit, Marda and Iskaka. According to B'Tselem, within Ariel's municipal area there are several enclaves of privately owned Palestinian land, whose owners are not allowed access to them.