Ma'ale Efrayim (, lit. Ascent of Ephraim) is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, organized as a secular settlement and a local council, located along the eastern slopes of the Samarian mountains in the Jordan Valley. It was founded in 1978 and named after the Biblical tribe of Ephraim. The settlement's municipal status was upgraded to local council in 1981. In , it had a population of . The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this. History According to ARIJ, in 1970 Israel retook 1,464 dunams of land from the Jordanians which was stolen from Jewish landowners in The War of Independence in order to construct Ma'ale Efrayim. References External links Official website Israeli settlements in the West Bank Populated places established in 1978 Local councils in Israel Mixed Israeli settlements 1978 establishments in the Israeli Military Governorate