Netanyahu attends unveiling of new 'Hatayelet' neighborhood in Kibbutz Migdal Oz

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the inauguration of the new Hatayelet (Promenade) neighborhood in Kibbutz Migdal Oz in the West Bank on Thursday. He was accompanied by his wife, Sara Netanyahu, and other dignitaries, including Noam Leiter, son of the US Ambassador, and Ofri Nir, whose father was killed in combat in Gaza in January 2024.

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symbolic act

Netanyahu described the community's growth as a "symbolic act" of historical return, national survival, and continuity. This inauguration aligns with a government initiative to expand Jewish communities in the West Bank, particularly after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. The government has approved numerous new settlements and seen the rapid establishment of at least 100 unauthorized outposts, according to UN and Israeli anti-settlement group PeaceNow.

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double its size within a year

The development of Kibbutz Migdal Oz, with the new Hatayelet neighborhood expected to "double its size within a year," is a significant step. However, a 2025 public opinion survey by Shield of Abraham indicates a majority of Israelis are critical of settlement expansions, believing they "harm Israel's international standing." Conversely, some government officials and settlement advocates argue these developments enhance security for inland Israeli populations and reaffirm historical Jewish ties to the land.

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harm Israel's international standing

At the ceremony, Netanyahu called the community a "manifestation of our spirit of vitality and of our sacred mission: to take root in our homeland despite our enemies, despite all the pressures; and to ensure that we are not merely treading over the past of the nation of Israel, but that we are securing its future." This visit is the latest in a series of government engagements in West Bank settlements since Netanyahu's government took office in December 2022.

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manifestation of our spirit of vitality and of our sacred mission: to take root in our homeland despite our enemies, despite all the pressures; and to ensure that we are not merely treading over the past of the nation of Israel, but that we are securing its future.