Beit El

:"This article is about the modern settlement; see Bethel (Israel) for the biblical site.":" For the Yeshivat Mekubalim, see Yeshivat Beit El."Infobox Municipality
official_name=Beit El

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imagesize=200px
image_caption=Beit El
native_name= בֵּית אֵל بيت أيل
established_date=1977
settlement_type=Local council
established_date2=
other_name=Bet El
subdivision_type= Country |subdivision_name = West Bank |subdivision_type1=District |established_title=Founded |unit_pref=Dunam |timezone=IST |utc_offset =+2 |timezone_DST=IDT |utc_offset_DST=+3
subdivision_name1=Judea and Samaria Area
population_total=5000
population_as_of=2005
area_total_dunam=1528
area_total_km2=1.5
pushpin_
pushpin_label_position = left |pushpin_map_caption =Location within the West Bank|pushpin_mapsize =125 |latd=31 |latm=55 |lats=48 |latNS=N |longd=35 |longm=13 |longs=12 |longEW=E

Beit El is a religiously observant Israeli settlement and local council in the Benjamin region of the central West Bank, within the borders of the Matte Binyamin Regional Council. It is located in the hills north of Jerusalem just to the east of the Palestinian city of al-Bireh. Its Pisgat Ya'acov neighborhood has a hilltop observatory with a commanding view of the surrounding hills where one may view as far away as the Tel Aviv area and even Mount Hermon on very clear days. It has a higher elevation than Jerusalem and has cool nights in the summer. Occasionally, it snows in the winter.

History

Israeli settlers first arrived to the Beit El area in 1977 ten years after Israel occupied the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) in the 1967 Six Day War. Several families moved to an Israeli Army base and later split up to settle on nearby hilltops. In September 1997, the two separate settlements were reunited and the new municipality was given the status of local council. About 1,200 families now reside in the town. Most of them are affiliated with the Religious Zionist Movement.

The rabbis of the town are Rabbi Shlomo Aviner and Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed who is also the rosh yeshiva of the local Beit El Yeshiva. The yeshiva owns and operates Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio which operates out of studios in Beit El and Petah Tikva. Beit El also has a number of small factories such as tefillin factory, a winery, metalworks, carpentry shops, a bakery and others. Beit El has a large percentage of immigrants from other countries and is also home to a unique community of Bnei Menasheref|bneimenashe from Manipur and Mizoram.

In Biblical times, Bethel was the site where Jacob slept and dreamt of the angels coming up and down a ladder. Bethel has been identified with the ruins surrounding the Palestinian village of Beitin ref|bibledic, and with the hilltop site of Pisgat Ya'acovref|Israelnationalnews.

External links

* [http://www.bet-el.muni.il The Municipality of Bet El] he icon
* [http://www.israelnationalnews.com Arutz Sheva Israel National News]
* [http://www.beitel-winery.com/ Beit-El Winery]
* [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=94649 An Israel National News article on Pisgat Ya'acov.]

Footnotes

# [http://www.bnei-menashe.org Bnei Menashe home page]
# "Bethel" in M. G. Easton, "Illustrated Bible Dictionary", T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1894.
# [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=94649 Israel National News]