After launch, Starlink unavailable for Judea, Samaria residents

Starlink began operating in most areas of the Jewish state on Thursday after receiving the ministry’s approval in early 2024.

By JNS

The launch of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in Israel currently excludes 500,000-plus citizens living in Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem’s Ministry of Communications confirmed to JNS on Monday.

“The Starlink service was launched for the first time last week and is still operating in a basic format,” the ministry said in a statement to JNS. “As stated in our announcement about the launch, the ministry is working to expand the service, including making it available nationwide.”

The Communications Ministry statement noted that high-speed fiber-optic internet lines are currently available to nearly 95% of Israeli households, “including large areas in Judea and Samaria.”

Starlink began operating in most areas of the Jewish state on Thursday after receiving the ministry’s approval in early 2024.

“Following the license granted by Minister of Communications Dr. Shlomo Karhi to Starlink in 2024, and after completing all required coordination with the company, Starlink has begun providing basic service in the country last week,” the ministry said.

The government approval includes “the establishment of fixed stations for households and public buildings that will enable satellite internet connectivity,” it said.

“The ministry will continue working to expand services, including the activation of mobile stations and more.”

Israel’s security agencies also approved the use of Starlink in the Gaza Strip on a limited, case-by-case basis, in instances where it has been confirmed that the user poses “no concern of risk or possibility of endangering national security,” the ministry said in February.

Asked by JNS whether it agreed to exclude Judea and Samaria’s residents during the talks with Musk, the Communications Ministry refused to respond, only emphasizing that it was in the process of deploying “dozens” of new cellular towers throughout the area.

SpaceX, which owns Starlink, did not respond to a request for comment.

Judea and Samaria’s Jewish population stands around 529,455, or roughly 5.35% of Israel’s population, according to a report published in January, which cited official Interior Ministry data.

The natural growth of the region’s residents is expected to result in a population in excess of 600,000 by 2030, almost 700,000 by 2035 and more than one million by 2050, the study added.