Ariel is a city (settlement) in Samaria (northern West Bank), approximately 38 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Jerusalem. The town was founded in 1978, with an initial population of 40 families. The current population is approximately 18,000, and is expected to rise to 60,000 over the next twenty years. Ariel is home to the College of Judea and Samaria, which was founded in 1982; current enrollment is 7,000 students.
Ariel is one of the larger communities referred to by many in the world media as "Israeli settlements." Its status is one of many unsettled issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though it is expected to remain within the final borders of the State of Israel.
External Links
- Ariel home page
- College of Judea and Samaria home page