Shvut Rachel
Shvut Rachel is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, formerly an outpost, which was retroactively designated a neighborhood of the settlement of Shilo, and legalized in 2025.
Shvut Rachel sits between the Palestinian villages of Turmus Ayya, Qaryut and Jalud, part of whose lands were expropriated for building Shvut Rachel. Nearby Israeli settlements include Shilo, Giv'at Har'el, Esh Kodesh, Keeda, and Adei Ad. The village, administered by the Matte Binyamin Regional Council, has a population of 100 families. The Sasson Report in 2005 noted that the settlement extends over Palestinian land, part of which is owned by Fawzi Haj Ibrahim Mohammad from Jalud, turned over to the settlement after the Israeli authorities declared it state land.
Getting around Shvut Rachel the local way
- Get inFor reaching other Palestinian cities, service taxis (shared taxis, pronounced servees) are preferable over Egged buses.
- Get aroundYou are almost always advised to use shared taxis which will be quicker although marginally more expensive.
- Get aroundBuses, like shared taxis will also tend to wait until full before departing.
- Get aroundShared taxis (servees) are common between Palestinian cities, and often the best means of travel.
- Get aroundMost shared taxis have fixed bus-stations, often car-parks near the centre of towns or cities.
- Get aroundLarger minivans carry 7 passengers and inner-city shared taxis carry 4.
- Get aroundShared taxis are often distinguished with black stripes on front and back at the sides, particularly the normal-sized cars serving inner-city routes.
- Get aroundThere are no Jewish-run shared taxis in the West Bank.
From Wikivoyage: West Bank, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: יעקב (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.