About Us

Matte Yehuda Regional Council is a regional council in the Jerusalem District of Israel. In 2008 it was home to 36,200 people.

The name of the regional council stems from the fact that its territory was part of the land allotted to the Tribe of Judah, according to the Bible.

The regional council administers moshavim, kibbutzim, Arab villages and other rural settlements that lie to the north and south of Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, from Jerusalem to Latrun and up to area of Beit Shemesh (Ha'ela Valley) in the South.

The localities vary greatly in their character. There are religious, secular and mixed Jewish communities, two Arab communities, and the only mixed Arab-Jewish village in Israel - Neve Shalom - Wahat al Salam. Many of the Jewish communities in the Matte Yehuda district were established by immigrants from India, Yemen, Iraq, Iran and countries in Eastern Europe.