Givat Ze'ev, a settlement in the West Bank, has been officially declared a city in Israel following IDF Central Command Chief Avi Bluth's signature on Sunday.
Givat Ze'ev, located five kilometers northwest of Jerusalem, was founded in 1977 within the borders of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, but existed as its own municipal entity. Nearly 35,000 people live in the settlement, which has one of the highest rates of population growth in the country.
With the official signing of the decree, the settlement's status changed from that of a local council to an official municipality recognized by the Israeli government.
The status upgrade aims to align the municipal framework with planned development, scaling, and residential services.
Support from MK Smotrich, a controversial development
The mayor of Givat Ze'ev, Yossi Asraf, said in an announcement, "Thank God, a historic moment for Givat Ze'ev. This is a tremendous boost to the settlements in the Jerusalem envelope. Becoming a city is first and foremost a massive growth engine and truly good news for our residents."
"Alongside the new status and development momentum, we are stepping up our capabilities, while preserving our warm, rural, and community atmosphere. This is the beating heart of Givat Ze'ev, and it will remain so," Asraf added.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also praised the move, saying he would "continue to fortify and strengthen the settlements," while a government led by former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot would only evacuate them.
"We will continue to establish more and more farms and settlements that will serve as the protective wall of Ra'anana, Tel Aviv, Givatayim, Jerusalem, and the entire State of Israel," he stated.