Regional councils (plural: Hebrew: מוֹעָצוֹת אֵזוֹרִיּוֹת, Mo'atzot Ezoriyot[1] / singular: Hebrew: מוֹעָצָה אֵזוֹרִית, Mo'atza Ezorit[1]) are one of the three types of Israel's local government entities, with the other two being cities and local councils. As of 2019, there were 54 regional councils, usually responsible for governing a number of settlements spread across rural areas.[2] [3] Regional councils include representation of anywhere between 3 and 54 communities, usually spread over a relatively large area within geographical vicinity of each other.
Each community within a regional council usually does not exceed 2,000 in population and is managed by a local committee. This committee sends representatives to the administering regional council proportionate to their size of membership and according to an index which is fixed before each election. Those settlements without an administrative council do not send any representatives to the regional council, instead being dealt by it directly. Representatives from those settlements which are represented directly are either chosen directly or through an election. The predominant form of communities represented on regional councils are kibbutzim and moshavim.[4]
The following sortable table lists all 53 regional councils by name, and the district or area according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.[5]
The list includes the regional councils in the Golan Heights and the West Bank, areas considered occupied territories under international law,[6] [7] [8] [9] although the Israeli government disputes this.[10]
| Council | District | |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Basma Regional Council | South | |
| Central Sharon Regional Council | ||
| Ef'al Regional Council | Tel Aviv | |
| Ga'aton Regional Council | North | |
| Hadar HaSharon Regional Council | Center | |
| Hof Aza Regional Council | South | |
| Kiryat Ono Regional Council | ||
| Mif'alot Afek Regional Council | ||
| Na'aman Regional Council | North | |
| Northern Sharon Regional Council | Center | |
| Sulam Tzur Regional Council | North | |
| Tel Mond Regional Council | ||
| Yarkon Regional Council |