Oranit

---

title: "Oranit" 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-1985", "1985-establishments-in-the-israeli-civil-administration-area"] description: "Israeli settlement in the West Bank" topic_path: "geography/israel" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oranit" 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	Oranit
native_name	{{Hlist
	rtl
{{Lang	ar
settlement_type	Local council (from 1990)
image_skyline	Ornit_1.JPG
pushpin_map	Israel shomron
coordinates
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	West Bank
subdivision_type2	District
established_title	Founded
established_date	1983
leader_title	Head of Municipality
leader_name	Or Piron Zomer
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	Little pine
website	http://www.oranit.org.il/
::

| name = Oranit | native_name = {{Hlist | {{Script/Hebrew|אֳרָנִית, אורנית}} | أورنيت | settlement_type = Local council (from 1990) | image_skyline = Ornit_1.JPG | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map = Israel shomron | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_label_position = | 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 = 1983 | leader_title = Head of Municipality | leader_name = Or Piron Zomer | 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 = Little pine | website = http://www.oranit.org.il/

Oranit () is an Israeli settlement and local council located in the Seam Zone of the West Bank, abutting and crossing the Green Line. It is surrounded by Horshim forest to the west, Rosh HaAyin and Kfar Qasim to the southwest, Sha'arei Tikva to the east, and Khirbet Abu Salman to the northeast. In it had a population of .

The international community considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.{{cite news| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1682640.stm| title = The Geneva Convention| publisher = BBC| date=2009-12-10

History

According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated land from two nearby Palestinian villages in order to construct Oranit: most of the land was taken from Azzun Atma, while 6 dunams from ‘Izbat Salman.

In April 1983, the Israeli government approved the establishment of Oranit, one of three settlements planned for "western Samaria".

According to Amnesty International the majority of the land of the neighboring Palestinian village of 'Izbat Salman was lost when Oranit was established, with most of the remainder being effectively lost when the West Bank barrier was built to encompass Oranit and enough surrounding land for future expansion of the settlement.{{cite web | url = http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.nsf/cf02d057b04d356385256ddb006dc02f/97568e4f022e2011852572f000580eef?OpenDocument | title = Enduring occupation: Palestinians under siege in the West Bank | access-date = 27 May 2012 | date = 4 June 2007 | publisher = Amnesty International | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100717101729/http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.nsf/cf02d057b04d356385256ddb006dc02f/97568e4f022e2011852572f000580eef?OpenDocument | archive-date = 17 July 2010 | url-status = dead | url = https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/EC123A4FA987D0C885256D640052F141 | title = Impact of the First Phase of the Security Barrier on the Qalqiliya, Tulkarmand Jenin districts | access-date = 27 May 2012 | date = 1 July 2003 | publisher = United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201202191158/https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/EC123A4FA987D0C885256D640052F141 | archive-date = 2 December 2020 | url-status = live

In 1985, the first residents moved in. In 1990, Oranit achieved local council status. In 2009, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu imposed a 10-month freeze on construction in Oranit and other Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Building inspectors of the Israeli military's civil administration issued a stop-work order, sending home a crew of Palestinian laborers who had been employed at a building site in Oranit.

According to Zvika Ma-Yafit, former mayor of Oranit, the town maintains good relations with nearby Kafr Qasim and the two towns have cooperated on environmental projects such as the development of a joint sewage system. Many residents of Kafr Qasim work in Oranit as gardeners and handymen. He says the motive for moving to Oranit is not ideological but quality of life.

Demographics

According to a 2009 survey, the population is young and evenly divided between men and women. Around 15% of the population is Orthodox, two-thirds of whom live in the town's religious neighborhood. Oranit ranked 8 out of 10 on the Israeli socio-economic scale.

Education and culture

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Horshim_wood053.jpg" caption="View of Oranit from [[Horshim]] forest"] ::

In an educational project at MultiCenter, a computer center at Park Afek industrial zone, Israeli and Palestinian children from Oranit, Rosh Ha'ayin and Kafr Qasim created a computer model for a virtual city of coexistence. According to the project director, the children learn about each other's language and culture, discuss strategies for promoting tolerance and avoiding violence, and use a program developed by MultiCenter to create a virtual dream city, complete with a map, logo and charter.

Community facilities include a public swimming pool and tennis courts.

Notable residents

• Shai Piron (born 1965), Israeli politician (Yesh Atid) and former Minister of Education

References

References

1. (2013). "‘Azzun ‘Atma Village Profile". [[Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem]].
2. (2013). "The Western ‘Izab Locality Profile (including ‘Izbat Jal’ud, ‘Izbat Salman, ‘Izbat al Mudawwar & ‘Izbat al Ashqar)". [[Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem]].
3. Nakhleh, Issa. "Encyclopedia of the Palestine Problem".
4. Mitnick, Joshua. (December 1, 2009). "In Israeli settlements, residents and builders push back on 10-month freeze". Christian Science Monitor.
5. Harrison, Donald H.. (30 July 1999). "'Quality of life' is theme for bedroom community of Oranit". San Diego Jewish Press-Heritage.
6. Golden, Tim. (July 3, 2002). "Dreams of Land Collide as Israeli Settlers Grow in Numbers". New York Times.
7. "Local Authorities in Israel 2009, Publication #1451 - Municipality Profiles - Oranit". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.
8. Fisher-Ilan, Allyn. (February 1, 2001). "Youngsters build virtual coexistence". [[Jerusalem Post]].
9. "Shai Piron".

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