Kfar Etzion
Encyclopedia
Kfar Etzion is a religious Israeli settlement
and kibbutz
located in the Judean Hills between Jerusalem and Hebron
in the southern West Bank
. It has a population of 400 and falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council
. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law
, but the Israeli government disputes this.
neighborhood of Jerusalem, established a small farming community, "Migdal Eder," on land south of Jerusalem. The name was taken from a verse in the Bible
, Genesis 35:21. During the 1929 Palestine riots
, Migdal Eder was attacked and destroyed. Residents of the neighboring Arab
village of Beit Umar sheltered the farmers, but they could not return to their land.
were forced to leave again in the wake of the 1936 Arab uprising. Much of what Holtzman and his comrades had built was demolished by the Arabs.
In 1943-1947, the kibbutz movement sent out groups of settlers to establish four kibbutz
im, creating what became known as the Etzion bloc. Kfar Etzion, Ein Tzurim
, Massu'ot Yitzhak and Revadim
were destroyed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
, and the entire area came under Jordan
ian rule.
The kibbutzim held off the attacks for ten days until Kfar Etzion fell. In the Kfar Etzion massacre
on May 14, all but four of the inhabitants were executed by Arab Legion
and irregular forces. The other three kibbutzim surrendered. The inhabitants there were taken as prisoners of war and released nine months later.
In 1967 Israel occupied the West Bank
in the Six-Day War
. The Israeli cabinet decided to re-establish the settlement of Kfar Etzion despite receiving legal advice that establishing such settlements in occupied territory would be illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention
Today Kfar Etzion houses a museum
and archive documenting the history of Gush Etzion
.
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...
and 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...
located in the Judean Hills between Jerusalem and 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...
in the southern West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. It has a population of 400 and falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council
Gush Etzion Regional Council
The Gush Etzion Regional Council is a regional council in the northern Judean Hills, the northern part of the southern area of the West Bank, administering the settlements in the Gush Etzion region, as well as others nearby...
. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law
International law and Israeli settlements
The international community considers the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories illegal under international law, but Israel maintains that they are consistent with international law because it does not agree that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the...
, but the Israeli government disputes this.
Migdal Eder
In January 1927, the Zikhron David society, a group of 160 Orthodox Jews from the Mea ShearimMea Shearim
Mea Shearim is one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, Israel. It is populated mainly by Haredi Jews and was built by the original settlers of the Yishuv haYashan.-Name:...
neighborhood of Jerusalem, established a small farming community, "Migdal Eder," on land south of Jerusalem. The name was taken from a verse in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, Genesis 35:21. During the 1929 Palestine riots
1929 Palestine riots
The 1929 Palestine riots, also known as the Western Wall Uprising, the 1929 Massacres, , or the Buraq Uprising , refers to a series of demonstrations and riots in late August 1929 when a long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated into violence...
, Migdal Eder was attacked and destroyed. Residents of the neighboring Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
village of Beit Umar sheltered the farmers, but they could not return to their land.
Kfar Etzion
In the early 1930s, the land was purchased by Shmuel Yosef Holtzman, who renamed the settlement "Kfar Etzion," a play on his own name: In German “holtz” means “wood”, which translates to “etz” in Hebrew). The JewsJews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
were forced to leave again in the wake of the 1936 Arab uprising. Much of what Holtzman and his comrades had built was demolished by the Arabs.
In 1943-1947, the kibbutz movement sent out groups of settlers to establish four 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...
im, creating what became known as the Etzion bloc. Kfar Etzion, Ein Tzurim
Ein Tzurim
Ein Tzurim is a religious kibbutz in southern Israel. Located south of Kiryat Malakhi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Shafir Regional Council, and is a member of the Religious Kibbutz Movement. In 2007 it had a population of 1,100.-Original kibbutz:...
, Massu'ot Yitzhak and Revadim
Revadim
Revadim is a kibbutz in Israel on the southern coastal plain. It is under the administration of the Yoav Regional Council and affiliated with the Hashomer Hatza'ir movement.-History:...
were destroyed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, and the entire area came under Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian rule.
The kibbutzim held off the attacks for ten days until Kfar Etzion fell. In the Kfar Etzion massacre
Kfar Etzion massacre
The Kfar Etzion massacre was an act committed by Arab armed forces on May 13, 1948, the day before the Declaration of Independence of the state of Israel.-Background:...
on May 14, all but four of the inhabitants were executed by Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
and irregular forces. The other three kibbutzim surrendered. The inhabitants there were taken as prisoners of war and released nine months later.
In 1967 Israel occupied the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
in the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
. The Israeli cabinet decided to re-establish the settlement of Kfar Etzion despite receiving legal advice that establishing such settlements in occupied territory would be illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention
Fourth Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted in August 1949, and defines humanitarian protections for civilians...
Today Kfar Etzion houses a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and archive documenting the history of Gush Etzion
Gush Etzion
Gush Etzion is a cluster of Israeli settlements located in the Judaean Mountains directly south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the West Bank, Palestinian territories. The core group includes four agricultural villages that were founded in 1940-1947 on property purchased in the 1920s and 1930s, and ...
.
Further reading
- Between Jerusalem and Hebron: Jewish Settlement in the Pre-State Period, Yossi Katz