| Karnei Shomron | |
| Translit Lang1: | Hebrew |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | ISO 259 |
| Translit Lang1 Info1: | Qarnei Šomron |
| Translit Lang1 Type3: | Also spelled |
| Translit Lang1 Info3: | Qarne Shomron (official) |
| Pushpin Map: | Israel shomron |
| Coordinates: | 32.1717°N 35.0978°W |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | West Bank |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Judea and Samaria Area |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1977 |
| Leader Title: | Head of Municipality |
| Leader Name: | Yigal Lahav |
| Unit Pref: | dunam |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Website: | www.karneishomron.co.il |
Karnei Shomron (Hebrew: קַרְנֵי שׁוֹמְרוֹן, lit. "Rays (of light) of Samaria") is an Israeli settlement organized as a local council established in 1977 in the West Bank, east of Kfar Saba. Karnei Shomron is located 48km (30miles) northeast of Tel Aviv and 85km (53miles) north of Jerusalem. In it had a population of .
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[1]
Before the establishment of Karnei Shomron, a salvage excavation was held uncovering the remains of Khirbet Jema'in.[2] The remains are of an ancient Jewish village, consisting mainly of four-room houses, agricultural facilities, oil press, winepress and a defensive wall. The village dates back to the Kingdom of Israel and was established during the peak of Israelite expansion in western Samaria. It is reasonable to assume that it served as residence for a family or group of families from the tribe of Manasseh. The place serves as an example of a village from the biblical (Iron Age) period that was not destroyed by human action.
According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated land from four nearby Palestinian villages of in order to construct Karnei Shomron:
In 1991, several Israeli settlements were merged to become a single municipality called Karnei Shomron Local Council:
Also part of Karnei Shomron are:
The town borders Wadi Qana, a wadi marking the border between lands that are believed to have been the territory of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (Menashe) in biblical times.[7] Wadi Qana, Hebrew name: Nahal Kana, is administered by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and is defined as a nature reserve.[8]
The chief rabbi of Karnei Shomron is Yitzhak HaLevy.
Igal Lahav is the head of the Karnei Shomron Local Council.[9]
See main article: Karnei Shomron Mall suicide bombing.
During the Second Intifada, on 16 February 2002, two people were killed and 30 people were wounded, six seriously, when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a pizzeria in Ginot Shomron shopping mall in Karnei Shomron. Rachel Thaler, 16 died of her wounds on 27 February. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed responsibility for the attack.