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Caravan (Israel)
Encyclopedia
A caravan is an Israel
i term referring to a trailer
-type, pre-fab
facility used as a living space, school classroom, synagogue
, or community center.
Constructed of aluminum or other metal siding with a corrugated metal roof, caravanim are often attached to cement-block bases. They are not insulated but can be outfitted with heating and air-conditioning units, water lines, recessed lighting, and floor tiling to function in a full-service capacity.
The establishment of caravanim on disputed land by Jewish
activists is considered the first step toward the establishment of an Israeli settlement
. In its initial stage of a few caravanim, the establishment is called an "outpost." As more settlers move in, the establishment is upgraded to a "settlement".
Alternately, caravanim have been established on disputed land by Israeli and Palestinian activists as a sign of protest.
Caravanim are popularly employed by schools — especially in Haredi
neighborhoods of Israel — that are unable to finance a permanent structure. A 2008 report by the State Comptroller of Israel reported that 125 out of 186 Haredi schools in Bnei Brak, Elad and Modi'in Illit
were situated wholly or partially in caravanim, some older than 15 years. The report criticized these structures for lack of ventilation, lack of bomb shelters, and lack of proper yards or playgrounds for the children. Though the construction of some caravan schools violate local planning and building laws, the government does not dismantle them.
. Residents usually live in caravanim until permanent homes are built. The caravan may also be a more permanent low-rent option, particularly for young couples.
The overnight installment of caravanim for housing is a popular means of establishing a new, unauthorized settler outpost on disputed land.
In 2005 prefabricated homes, named caravillas , a portmanteau
of the words caravan
, and villa
, were set up to house the Jewish families evicted from their homes in Gush Katif
in the Gaza Strip
as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
.
A caravilla is composed of several prefabricated sections that are joined on a foundation. Caravillas, which vary in size from about 650 to 1,000 square feet, are akin to the Israeli concept of a villa, or single-family home
. They were instrumental in pacifying objections to the disengagement plan. The biggest of these caravilla camps was established in Nitzan
, north of Ashkelon
with 250 caravillas, which has grown to accommodate over 500.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i term referring to a trailer
Travel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
-type, pre-fab
Prefabricated home
Prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes, are dwellings manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled....
facility used as a living space, school classroom, synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, or community center.
Constructed of aluminum or other metal siding with a corrugated metal roof, caravanim are often attached to cement-block bases. They are not insulated but can be outfitted with heating and air-conditioning units, water lines, recessed lighting, and floor tiling to function in a full-service capacity.
The establishment of caravanim on disputed land by Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
activists is considered the first step toward the establishment of an Israeli settlement
Israeli settlement
An Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
. In its initial stage of a few caravanim, the establishment is called an "outpost." As more settlers move in, the establishment is upgraded to a "settlement".
Alternately, caravanim have been established on disputed land by Israeli and Palestinian activists as a sign of protest.
Caravanim as classrooms
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
neighborhoods of Israel — that are unable to finance a permanent structure. A 2008 report by the State Comptroller of Israel reported that 125 out of 186 Haredi schools in Bnei Brak, Elad and Modi'in Illit
Modi'in Illit
Modi'in Illit is a Haredi Israeli settlement and a city in the West Bank, situated midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Modi'in Illit was granted city status by the Israeli government in 2008. It is located six kilometres northeast of Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut and is often referred to as Kiryat...
were situated wholly or partially in caravanim, some older than 15 years. The report criticized these structures for lack of ventilation, lack of bomb shelters, and lack of proper yards or playgrounds for the children. Though the construction of some caravan schools violate local planning and building laws, the government does not dismantle them.
Caravanim as synagogues
Many start-up religious congregations establish their synagogues in caravanim rather than the more expensive permanent concrete-and-stone structures. Synagogues housed in caravanim are common sights at Israel army bases.Caravanim as living space
Caravanim are sometimes used as inexpensive houses in new or extensions of existing localities within Israel.Settler housing
Most often, caravanim are employed by both settlers and the government as housing in Israeli settlement areas in the territories occupied since 1967Israeli-occupied territories
The Israeli-occupied territories are the territories which have been designated as occupied territory by the United Nations and other international organizations, governments and others to refer to the territory seized by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria...
. Residents usually live in caravanim until permanent homes are built. The caravan may also be a more permanent low-rent option, particularly for young couples.
The overnight installment of caravanim for housing is a popular means of establishing a new, unauthorized settler outpost on disputed land.
Caravillas
Portmanteau word
A portmanteau or portmanteau word is a blend of two words or morphemes into one new word. A portmanteau word typically combines both sounds and meanings, as in smog, coined by blending smoke and fog. More generally, it may refer to any term or phrase that combines two or more meanings...
of the words caravan
Travel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
, and villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
, were set up to house the Jewish families evicted from their homes in Gush Katif
Gush Katif
Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Gush Katif was specifically mentioned by Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who fell victim to an assassin in 1995, as essential to Israel's security border. In August 2005, the Israeli army moved the 8,600...
in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
.
A caravilla is composed of several prefabricated sections that are joined on a foundation. Caravillas, which vary in size from about 650 to 1,000 square feet, are akin to the Israeli concept of a villa, or single-family home
Single-family home
A single-family detached home, also called a single-detached dwelling or separate house is a free-standing residential building. It is defined in opposition to a multi-family dwelling.- Definitions :...
. They were instrumental in pacifying objections to the disengagement plan. The biggest of these caravilla camps was established in Nitzan
Nitzan
Nitzan is a religiously observant communal settlement in southern Israel. Located among the Nitzanim sand dunes north of Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 3,000...
, north of Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
with 250 caravillas, which has grown to accommodate over 500.
External links
- United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
: Report of the Secretary-General: Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan. September 14, 2010 - Israeli Government http://dev.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/items/11243.htmlSummary of the Opinion Concerning Unauthorized Outposts (Sasson ReportSasson ReportThe Sasson Report is an official Israeli government report published on 8 March 2005 that concluded that Israeli state bodies had been discreetly diverting millions of shekels to build West Bank settlements and outposts that were illegal under Israeli law...
)]. Talya Sason, March 8, 2005 - Peace Now: Dror Etkes, Lara Friedman: Settlements in Focus. West Bank Outposts in 2006 - Same Song, Different Tune? January 2006
- Peace Now Settlement Watch: Bypassing the Settlement Freeze. Semiannual Report on Settlement Construction, January-June 2009. August 2009
- Peace Now: Outpost List