Government ministers, Knesset members, community leaders, and local residents gathered Tuesday at Malachei Hashalom in the Binyamin region to celebrate the completion of the community’s legal recognition, marking its transition from an outpost to a fully regulated community.
The ceremony marked the culmination of an 11-year effort to establish the community. Malachei Hashalom was founded the day after the 2015 terrorist murder of Malakhi Rosenfeld and was named in memory of Rosenfeld and Shuli Har Melech, who was killed in a 2003 terrorist attack. The government approved the Malachei Hashalom in 2023, and recent planning and regulatory procedures completed its official recognition.
The site’s history stretches back to 1976, when the Nahal outpost Mavo Shilo was established in the area. Decades later, pioneering families returned to create a permanent community aimed at strengthening Jewish settlement in eastern Binyamin. Today, about 40 families live in Malachei Hashalom, which the Binyamin Regional Council views as part of a broader plan to expand communities along the Alon Highway.
Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Israel Ganz called the occasion “a day of historical justice.”
AFSI Insight
AFSI views this recognition as a landmark Zionist achievement and an example of the proper Zionist response to terror: building rather than retreating. Every new home, school, farm, and community strengthens Israel’s security while reaffirming the Jewish people’s historic and legal rights in Judea and Samaria. Rather than allowing violence to dictate national policy, Israel has demonstrated that attacks will be met with renewed commitment to settlement and sovereignty.
For AFSI, Malachei Hashalom is more than the legalization of one community—it is a model for the future. Communities established through sacrifice and determination should receive full government support, security, infrastructure, and permanent status. AFSI hopes this milestone will encourage the recognition of additional Jewish communities throughout Judea and Samaria, reinforcing Israel’s presence in the heartland and ensuring that those who gave their lives for the Land of Israel are honored through continued growth and renewal.