[2] Located in the Judean Mountains, 41.7 kilometres (25.9 mi) southwest of Jerusalem, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council.

Prior to 1948, the territory was considered public lands owned by, both, Jews and Arabs living in Mandatory Palestine.

Following the Armistice agreement of 1949 between Israel and Jordan, the land was officially recognized as territory falling under Israeli jurisdiction.

[citation needed] In 1997, the then Infrastructure Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, along with the Israel Land Administration, initiated the establishment of the settlement as part of a plan designed to increase the concentration of the Jewish population along the Green Line,[2] similar to the Star Settlements plan initiated about ten years earlier.

[citation needed] The plan was promoted as an expansion of the Neve Michael settlement, and was intended to be called "Roglit B".