FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * WILKS JEFFREY S   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP [VLY] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) (Last) (First) (Middle) 1455 VALLEY ROAD 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/01/2012 (Street) WAYNE, NJ 07470 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   24,502 A (1) 24,502 D   Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   68,491 A (1) 68,491 I Wife Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   11,242 A (1) 11,242 I Jeffrey Wilks as Trustee FBO Lise Spiegel Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   9,539 A (1) 9,539 I Jeffrey Wilks as Trustee FBO Andrew Jay Wilks Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   9,539 A (1) 9,539 I Jeffrey Wilks as Trustee FBO Jack Philip Wilks Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   9,434 A (1) 9,434 I Lise Wilks as Trustee FBO David Wilks Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   2,493 (1) A (1) 2,493 I Lise and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   263,287 A (1) 263,287 I Lise Wilks as Executor for the Estate of Jerry Spiegel Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   85,197 A (1) 85,197 I Emily Spiegel Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   2,260 A (1) 2,260 I Jerry Spiegel Common Stock 01/01/2012   A   133,220 A (1) 133,220 I Lise Wilks as Executor for the Estate of Emily Spiegel

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
WILKS JEFFREY S 1455 VALLEY ROAD WAYNE, NJ 07470	X

Signatures

/s/ JEFFREY S. WILKS		01/04/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Shares acquired in connection with the merger of State Bancorp, Inc., with and into Valley National Bancorp pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 28, 2011. On the effective date of the merger, January 1, 2012, the shareholders of State Bancorp, Inc., received a fixed one-for one exchange ratio for Valley National Bancorp common stock.

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