New Israeli Settler Encampment Near Majd Al-Krum Raises Local Concerns

21 September 2026

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A new Israeli settler encampment established near the Palestinian town of Majd Al-Krum in northern Israel has raised concerns among local residents over land access and the possibility of a longer-term settlement presence in the area. The encampment appeared in a forested area in the western Galilee, close to privately owned land belonging to residents of Majd Al-Krum. The site included tents, water tanks, electricity connections and facilities for livestock.

According to Israeli authorities, an Israeli resident had received a permit from the Jewish National Fund to graze livestock on the land. Local residents, however, questioned whether the permit allowed the construction of structures or the establishment of an encampment.

Residents began gathering at the site in large numbers to protest and maintain access to their surrounding land. Israeli police were deployed to the area, and several protesters were arrested during the demonstrations. The dispute also involved privately owned Palestinian land. Land registry documents reportedly showed that part of the encampment had extended beyond Jewish National Fund property onto privately owned land.

The Jewish National Fund later ordered the tents and other structures to be removed. The encampment was dismantled after several days of protests, although the organization said the grazing activity could resume after Yom Kippur with a smaller encampment on land it manages. Local residents remain concerned that a temporary grazing operation could eventually develop into a permanent presence. They point to the experience of Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, where some settler outposts have expanded around grazing areas and agricultural land.

The situation has also become part of a wider political dispute over land and settlement policy in northern Israel. Some Israeli right-wing politicians have called for greater Jewish settlement in areas of the Galilee and the Naqab, while Palestinian citizens of Israel and local community representatives have opposed policies they say threaten their land and communities.

Majd Al-Krum residents have called for continued access to their agricultural land and for the temporary encampment not to become a permanent settlement. The Jewish National Fund has said the site was approved for grazing and that the original encampment exceeded the terms of the permit. It also said the grazing operation itself was not being permanently cancelled.

The situation remains contested, with local residents, Israeli authorities and the Jewish National Fund offering different accounts of the legality and purpose of the encampment.

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