Government ministers, Knesset members, settlement 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 settlement.
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 settlement 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."
"This is not just another ceremony for the regulation of a settlement," Ganz said. "We can look the families and friends of those who were murdered in the eye and say: We did not stop, and we will not stop. We will continue to build, plant, and settle in their memory. There is no deeper meaning than the State of Israel saying: We are continuing this journey."
Ganz also thanked the bereaved families, the pioneering residents, local farmers, and government officials who supported the recognition process, including Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Strock said the settlement's recognition reflects a broader national commitment to strengthening Jewish settlement. "Malachei Hashalom is an example and a symbol of love of the land that overcomes every obstacle," she said.
MK Limor Son Har Melech, widow of Shuli Har Melech, described the recognition as both a personal and national milestone. "The approval of Malachei Hashalom sends an inspiring national message and represents another step in strengthening Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. Where they sought to destroy life, we are building new life, establishing homes, and deepening our roots."
She added that seeing a thriving community bearing the names of her late husband and Malakhi Rosenfeld near the site of the attack was "a feeling that is difficult to describe in words."
"From pain comes renewal, and from the blood of those who fell, the momentum of life and settlement continues. Malachei Hashalom is a symbol of the victory of life over terror."
Town chairman Yochanan Rosenzweig thanked everyone involved in establishing the community and expressed hope for its continued growth. "We thank God for allowing us to reach this moment and all those who helped turn this dream into reality. Our goal now is to continue developing the settlement alongside the agricultural farms in the area. With God's help, we will continue moving forward."
