INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS' CONSENT
The Board of Directors
Valley National Bancorp
We consent to the use of our report dated January 24, 2000, incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of Valley National Bancorp
relating to our audit of the consolidated statements of condition of Merchants
New York Bancorp, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 1999 and 1998, and
the related consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, changes
in shareholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year
period ended December 31, 1999, which report appears in the December 31, 1999
Annual Report and is incorporated by reference in the Merchants New York
Bancorp, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,1999,
and to the reference to our Firm under the heading "Experts" in the Registration
Statement
KPMG LLP
New York, New York
October 12, 2000
