Har Amasa
Encyclopedia
Har Amasa is a communal settlement
in the south of Israel
. Located near the Yatir Forest
20 kilometres south of Hebron
and 14 km northeast of Arad, it is the only member of the Tamar Regional Council
to be located in the highlands outside the Great Rift Valley
.
It was named after the nearby Mount Amasa (859 m), which was in turn named after Amasa
son of Ithra the Israelite (2 Samuel 17:25).
settlement, from a govIt gradually changed its operations over the next 20 years. In 2003, it was transferred to the authority of the Agricultural Union
movement, and it is preparing to expand to include many new residents in a less formal framework, while still preserving its social fabric.ernment decision made on September 14, 1980. It was handed over to the kibbutz
of the United Kibbutz Movement
on June 30, 1983.
In 2006, Ynet
reported that the kibbutz was underground a religious conversion through Chabad
. According to certain members of the kibbutz, the reason was that they were abandoned by the Kibbutz Movement that purposely kept their status as a "kibbutz under construction" in order to receive its funding. The movement denied the allegations and stated that the religious converts were new residents. In 2006, the kibbutz members sent a petition to the High Court of Justice to transfer the village's administration to them and remove the "under construction" status, instead of being administered by the Kibbutz Movement.
Communal settlement (Israel)
A community settlement is a type of town in Israel. While in an ordinary town anyone may buy property, in a community settlement the town's residents, who are organized in a cooperative, can veto a sale of a house or a business to an undesirable buyer....
in the south of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Located near the Yatir Forest
Yatir Forest
Yatir Forest is a forest in Israel, located on the southern slopes of Mount Hebron, on the edge of the Negev Desert. The forest covers an area of 30,000 dunams , and is the largest planted forest in Israel.-History:...
20 kilometres south of Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
and 14 km northeast of Arad, it is the only member of the Tamar Regional Council
Tamar Regional Council
The Tamar Regional Council is a regional council in Israel's South District, on the south and western edges of the Dead Sea along the Arava valley. The council was established in 1955 with the opening of lodging at Sodom near the Dead Sea Works, and its jurisdiction covers an area of 1,650 km2.The...
to be located in the highlands outside the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
.
It was named after the nearby Mount Amasa (859 m), which was in turn named after Amasa
Amasa
Amasa is a person in the Hebrew Bible. He was the son of Abigail , who was sister to King David and Zeruiah, the mother of Joab. Hence, Amasa was a nephew to David, a cousin to Joab, as well as a cousin to Absalom....
son of Ithra the Israelite (2 Samuel 17:25).
History
The village was initially founded as a Gush EmunimGush Emunim
Gush Emunim was an Israeli messianic and political movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While not formally established as an organization until 1974 in the wake of the Yom Kippur War, Gush Emunim sprang out of the conquests of the Six-Day War in 1967, encouraging...
settlement, from a govIt gradually changed its operations over the next 20 years. In 2003, it was transferred to the authority of the Agricultural Union
Agricultural Union
The Agricultural Union is a settlement movement in Israel for agricultural villages, which includes several moshavim and communal settlement. It also has a youth movement founded in 1978.-Member communities:*Avtalion*Batzra*Beit Yanai*Beka'ot...
movement, and it is preparing to expand to include many new residents in a less formal framework, while still preserving its social fabric.ernment decision made on September 14, 1980. It was handed over to the kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
of the United Kibbutz Movement
Kibbutz Movement
The Kibbutz Movement is the largest settlement movement for kibbutzim in Israel. It was formed in 1999 by a partial merger of the United Kibbutz Movement and Kibbutz Artzi.-United Kibbutz Movement:...
on June 30, 1983.
In 2006, Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
reported that the kibbutz was underground a religious conversion through Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
. According to certain members of the kibbutz, the reason was that they were abandoned by the Kibbutz Movement that purposely kept their status as a "kibbutz under construction" in order to receive its funding. The movement denied the allegations and stated that the religious converts were new residents. In 2006, the kibbutz members sent a petition to the High Court of Justice to transfer the village's administration to them and remove the "under construction" status, instead of being administered by the Kibbutz Movement.