Districts of Israel

Districts of Israel
מְחוֹזוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ (Hebrew)
مناطق اسرائيل (Arabic)
Districts of Israel; מְחוֹזוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ (Hebrew); مناطق اسرائيل (Arabic)
	Districts of Israel Central Haifa Jerusalem Northern Southern Tel Aviv Judea; and; Samaria; Area v; t; e;
Category	Unitary state
Location	State of Israel
Number	6
Populations	1,032,800 (Haifa) – 2,196,900 (Central District)
Areas	190 km2 (72 sq mi) (Tel Aviv) – 14,190 km2 (5,477 sq mi) (Southern District)
Government	District government;
Subdivisions	City council, Local council, Regional council;

There are six main administrative districts of Israel, known in Hebrew as mekhozot (מְחוֹזוֹת; sing. מָחוֹז, makhoz) and in Arabic as mintaqah. There are also 15 subdistricts of Israel, known in Hebrew nafot (נָפוֹת; sing. נָפָה, nafa) and in Arabic as qadaa. Each subdistrict is further divided into natural regions,^[1]^[2] which in turn are further divided into council-level divisions: whether they might be cities, municipalities, or regional councils.

The present division into districts was established in 1953, to replace the divisions inherited from the British Mandate. It has remained substantially the same ever since; a second proclamation of district boundaries issued in 1957—which remains in force as of 2023—only affirmed the existing boundaries in place.

The figures in this article are based on numbers from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics and so include all places under Israeli civilian rule including those Israeli-occupied territories where this is the case. Therefore, Golan Subdistrict and its four natural regions are included in the number of subdistricts and natural regions even though it is not recognized by the United Nations or the international community as Israeli territory. Similarly, the population figure below for the Jerusalem District was calculated including East Jerusalem whose annexation by Israel is similarly not recognized by the United Nations and the international community. The Judea and Samaria Area, however, is not included in the number of districts and subdistricts as Israel has not applied its civilian jurisdiction in that part of the West Bank.

Administration

The districts have no elected institutions of any kind, although they do possess councils composed of representatives of central government ministries and local authorities for planning and building purposes. Their administration is undertaken by a District Commissioner^[3] appointed by the Minister of the Interior. Each district also has a District Court.

Since the District Commissioners are considered part of the Ministry of the Interior's bureaucracy, they can only exercise functions falling within the purview of other ministries if the appropriate Minister authorizes them.^[3] This authorization is rarely granted, as other government ministries and institutions (for example, the Ministry of Health^[4] and the Police^[5]) establish their own divergent systems of districts.

Jerusalem District

Jerusalem District (Hebrew: מְחוֹז יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, Mehoz Yerushalayim)

Area: 653 km²^[6]

Population (EoY 2018): 1,133,700^[7]

District capital: Jerusalem.^[a]

Natural regions:

111 Judean Mountains
112 Judean Foothills

Northern District

Northern District (Hebrew: מְחוֹז הַצָּפוּן, Mehoz HaTzafon)

Area: 4,473 km²^[6]

Population (EoY 2018): 1,448,100^[7]

District capital: Nof Hagalil

Subdistricts and natural regions:

Safed (Tzfat) Subdistrict – population: 121,200
- 211 Hula Valley
- 212 Eastern Upper Galilee
- 213 Hazor Region
- 214 Central Lower Galilee
Kinneret Subdistrict – population: 112,900
- 221 Kinerot
- 222 Eastern Lower Galilee
Yizre'el Subdistrict – population: 520,100
- 231 Bet She’an Valley
- 232 Harod Valley
- 233 Kokhav Plateau
- 234 Yizre’el Valley
- 235 Yoqne’am Region
- 236 Menashe Plateau
- 237 Nazareth-Tir’an Mountains
Akko Subdistrict – population: 643,300
- 241 Shefar’am Region
- 242 Karmi’el Region
- 243 Yehi’am Region
- 244 Elon Region
- 245 Nahariyya Region
- 246 Akko Region
Golan Subdistrict^[b] – population: 50,600
- 291 Hermon Region
- 292 Northern Golan
- 293 Middle Golan
- 294 Southern Golan

Haifa District

Haifa District (Hebrew: מְחוֹז חֵיפָה, Mehoz Heifa)

Area: 866 km²^[6]

Population (EoY 2018): 1,032,800^[7]

District capital: Haifa

Subdistricts and natural regions:

Haifa Subdistrict – population: 583,400
- 311 Haifa Region
Hadera Subdistrict – population: 449,300
- 321 Karmel Coast
- 322 Zikhron Ya’aqov Region
- 323 Alexander Mountain
- 324 Hadera Region

Central District

Central District (מְחוֹז הַמֶּרְכָּז‎, Mehoz HaMerkaz)

Area: 1,294 km²^[6]

Population (EoY 2018): 2,196,100^[7]

District capital: Ramla

Subdistricts and natural regions:

HaSharon Subdistrict – population: 477,400
- 411 Western Sharon
- 412 Eastern Sharon
Petah Tikva Subdistrict – population: 754,300
- 421 Southern Sharon
- 422 Petah Tikva Region
Ramla Subdistrict – population: 351,700
- 431 Modi’in Region
- 432 Ramla Region
Rehovot Subdistrict – population: 612,600
- 441 Rehovot Region
- 442 Rishon LeZiyyon Region

Tel Aviv District

Tel Aviv District (Hebrew: מְחוֹז תֵּל־אָבִיב, Mehoz Tel Aviv)

Area: 172 km²^[6]

Population (EoY 2018): 1,427,200^[7]

District capital: Tel Aviv

Natural regions:

Southern District

Southern District (Hebrew: מְחוֹז הַדָּרוֹם, Mehoz HaDarom)

Area: 14,185 km²^[6]

Population (EoY 2018): 1,302,000^[7]

District capital: Beersheba

Subdistricts and natural regions:

Ashkelon Subdistrict – population: 551,200
- 611 Mal’akhi Region
- 612 Lakhish Region
- 613 Ashdod Region
- 614 Ashqelon Region
Be'er Sheva Subdistrict – population: 750,700
- 621 Gerar Region
- 622 Besor Region
- 623 Be’er Sheva Region
- 624 Dead Sea Region
- 625 Arava Region
- 626 Northern Negev Mountain
- 627 Southern Negev Mountain

Formerly the Hof Aza Regional Council with a population of approx. 10,000 Israelis was a part of this district, but the Israeli communities that constituted it were evacuated when the disengagement plan was implemented on the Gaza Strip. Since the withdrawal, the Coordination and Liaison Administration operates there.^{[citation needed]}

Judea and Samaria Area

Judea and Samaria Area (Hebrew: אֵזוֹר יְהוּדָה וְשׁוֹמְרוֹן‬, Ezor Yehuda VeShomron)

Area: 172 km²

Israeli population (EoY 2018): 427,800^[7]

Arab/Bedouin population: 40,000. (excludes Area A and Area B).

Largest city: Modi'in Illit

The name Judea and Samaria for this geographical area is based on terminology from the Hebrew Bible and other sources relating to ancient Israel and Judah/Judea. The territory has been under Israeli control since the 1967 Six-Day War but not annexed by Israel, pending negotiations regarding its status. It is part of historic Israel, which leads to politically contentious issues. However, it is not recognized as part of the State of Israel by the United Nations.

There are no subdistricts or administratively declared "natural regions" in the Judea and Samaria Area.^[1]

Notes

^ a: This district includes areas captured in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed to Israel in the Jerusalem Law.
^ b: Occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War and internationally unrecognized annexed by Israel's Golan Heights Law.