Elkana

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title: "Elkana" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["israeli-settlements-in-the-west-bank", "local-councils-in-israel", "mixed-israeli-settlements", "populated-places-established-in-1977", "1977-establishments-in-the-israeli-military-governorate"] description: "Israeli settlement in the West Bank" topic_path: "geography/israel" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elkana" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Israeli settlement in the West Bank ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Elkana
native_name	{{Hlist
	rtl
{{Lang	ar
settlement_type	Local council (from 1981)
translit_lang1	Hebrew
translit_lang1_type1	ISO 259
translit_lang1_info1	ʔelqana
image_skyline	PikiWiki Israel 11528 elkana local council.jpg
pushpin_map	Israel shomron
pushpin_label_position	top
coordinates
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	West Bank
subdivision_type2	District
established_title	Founded
established_date	1977
leader_title	Head of Municipality
leader_name	Asaf Mintzer
unit_pref	dunam
area_total_dunam
population_footnotes
population_total
population_as_of
population_density_km2	auto
blank_name_sec1	Name meaning
blank_info_sec1	Named after Elkanah
::

| name = Elkana | native_name = {{Hlist | {{Script/Hebrew|אֶלְקָנָה}} | القناة | settlement_type = Local council (from 1981) | translit_lang1 = Hebrew | translit_lang1_type1 = ISO 259 | translit_lang1_info1 = ʔelqana | image_skyline = PikiWiki Israel 11528 elkana local council.jpg | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map = Israel shomron | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_label_position = top | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = West Bank | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Judea and Samaria Area | established_title = Founded | established_date = 1977 | leader_title = Head of Municipality | leader_name = Asaf Mintzer | unit_pref = dunam | area_total_dunam = | population_footnotes = | population_total = | population_as_of = | population_density_km2 = auto | blank_name_sec1 = Name meaning | blank_info_sec1 = Named after Elkanah

Elkana or Elqana () is an Israeli settlement and local council in the north-western Samarian hills in the West Bank, located 3.1 km to the east of the Green Line and the city of Rosh HaAyin. It was founded in 1977 by a group from Gush Emunim of religious and non-religious Jews, and by July 2020 it had a population of 3858.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

History

According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated 1,626 dunams of land from the Palestinian village of Mas-ha in 1977 in order to construct Elkana.

Elkana was established as one of the earliest settlements after 64 Knesset members signed a bill to allow the use of state land in the area for construction. On 1 May 1977, fifteen men climbed the hill and started preparing the area for families for the official day on 10 May. Amongst the first families to move to the settlement was that of the former Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz ten days later. Elkana became the fourth community to be established by the Seventeenth government of Israel headed by Yitzhak Rabin, following the Kadum outpost, Ofra, and Ma'ale Adumim. A few months later, forty families had moved into prefabricated home's called 'ashkubiot' and after two years, over a hundred families lived in the village.

In 1983, the first permanent structures were built as the village was divided into different neighbourhoods named after the number of homes planned in each one: 220, 165, 80, and 34 (also called Bnai Elkana). More recently, two newer neighbourhoods have been built; One on the northern side of the town as well as another smaller one to the west.

In November 2013 Israel published plans for 283 new homes to be built in Elkana.

The town was named after the nearby Nahal Qana and Elkanah, father of Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1), who is believed to have lived in the area. Virtually all of the town's residents are religious of a primarily national religious orientation.

The Trans-Samarian Highway previously cut through the town until 2000 when the road, which now skirts to the south, was upgraded.

Notable residents

• Nissan Slomiansky (born 1946), Former Member of the Knesset and first mayor of Elkana
• Shaul Yahalom (born 1947), Former Member of the Knesset and Transport minister

References

References

1. [https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israel-publishes-tenders-for-283-new-settler-homes-374549 Lands Authority first published tenders for the new homes West Bank settlement of Elkana in November of 2013] - Retrieved 5 September 2014
2. "נתונים סטטיסטיים".
3. (10 December 2009). "The Geneva Convention". BBC News.
4. (10 January 2014). "Israel announces plans for 1,400 new settlement homes". BBC.
5. [http://vprofile.arij.org/salfit/pdfs/vprofile/Mas-ha_vp_en.pdf Mas-ha Village Profile], ARIJ, 2013, p. 17
6. Hoberman, Haggai. (2008). "Keneged Kol HaSikuim". Sifriat Netzaim.
7. In January 2014 they received permission for the homes, and on 5 September 2014 announced tenders for the units.[http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/184783#.VAm852JdXy0 New Samaria Homes Announced Amid 'Covert Freeze'] - Retrieved 5 September 2014
8. "Settlers will occupy 7-10 Knesset seats". Haaretz.

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