Mivtahim
Encyclopedia
Mivtahim is a moshav
in southern Israel
. Located in the Hevel Eshkol area of the north-western Negev
desert near the Gaza Strip
border and covering an area of 4,000 dunam
s, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council
. In 2006 it had a population of 335.
movement. Its name is taken from Isaiah
32:18;
On 22 April 1948 there was a severe clash between the British army
and guards of the kibbutz, with armed units including tank
s arriving at the gates. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
residents decided to evactuate Mivtahim and join with residents of Nitzanim
to found a new kibbutz. All that remains today of the original settlement is a security building.
In 1950 a moshav was founded adjacent to the abandoned kibbutz by immigrants
from Kurdistan. In 1954 they were joined by immigrants from Morocco
and more from Kurdistan. The moshav was used as an infantry base by the IDF
during the Suez Crisis
.
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
in southern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Located in the Hevel Eshkol area of the north-western Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert near 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...
border and covering an area of 4,000 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council
Eshkol Regional Council
The Eshcol Regional Council is a regional council in the north-western Negev, in Israel's Southern District. The regional council's territory lies midway between Ashkelon and Beersheba, bounded on the west by the Gaza Strip while the eastern border abuts the territory of the Bnei Shimon Regional...
. In 2006 it had a population of 335.
History
The settlement was first established on 7 January 1947 as a kibbutz of the HaOved HaTzioniHaOved HaTzioni
HaOved HaTzioni is a settlement movement in Israel.The movement was established in 1936 by former members of HaNoar HaTzioni, and its first settlement, kibbutz Usha, was founded on 7 November 1937. In 1948 the movement was one of the factions that established the Progressive Party....
movement. Its name is taken from Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
32:18;
And my people shall abide in a peaceable habitation, and in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places.
On 22 April 1948 there was a severe clash between the British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and guards of the kibbutz, with armed units including tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s arriving at the gates. During 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...
residents decided to evactuate Mivtahim and join with residents of Nitzanim
Nitzanim
Nitzanim is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located between Ashkelon and Ashdod on the Nitzanim dunes, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 343....
to found a new kibbutz. All that remains today of the original settlement is a security building.
In 1950 a moshav was founded adjacent to the abandoned kibbutz by immigrants
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
from Kurdistan. In 1954 they were joined by immigrants from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and more from Kurdistan. The moshav was used as an infantry base by the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
.
External links
- Mivtahim Negev Information Centre