Neve Dekalim
Encyclopedia
Neve Dekalim was an Israeli settlement
and a community
in the Gush Katif
settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip
. It was founded in 1983 after the Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula
, on sand dunes that were previously uninhabited. The village served as a regional center for the Gush Katif
region and was the seat of the Hof Aza Regional Council
. It was located between the Palestinian
city of Khan Yunis
and the Mediterranean Sea
.
The population consisted of about 520 families (2,600 people), mainly Orthodox
Jews
. It was the largest Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip and served as the commercial center for the primarily agricultural settlements surrounding it, particularly the residents of the Gush Katif bloc. Located in the town were a large range of educational institutions including: day care centers, kindergartens, the regional elementary school, an ulpena (religious dormitory high school for girls), a hesder
yeshiva, a yeshiva
for advanced studies, a women's college, a community center, a research center for the study of the Sinai region, a youth center and a pensioners club. There were eight synagogue
s, the regional library, two medical clinics, a strip mall including fast food restaurants as well as a supermarket and a small zoo. The industrial area housed a variety of factories engaged in carpentry, metal work, printing, mechanics, juice production and a cookie factory.
The evacuation of Neve Dekalim began on August 15, 2005 by the Israeli Army and the Israeli Police, as part of the Israel unilateral disengagement plan, and was completed on 18 August. During the evacuation, many Neve Dekalim settlers, aided by activists from Israel proper, refused to leave and were forcibly removed. The homes were bulldozed
.
The Palestinian Al-Aqsa University
opened a campus on the site shortly after the Israeli evacuation, and hopes the new campus will eventually replace its damaged Khan Yunis campus.
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 a community
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the 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...
settlement bloc 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...
. It was founded in 1983 after the Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
, on sand dunes that were previously uninhabited. The village served as a regional center for the 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...
region and was the seat of the Hof Aza Regional Council
Hof Aza Regional Council
The Hof Aza Regional Council was a regional council of Israel until 2005 when its residents were evicted from their homes and the area was liquidated as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan.The seat was in Neve Dekalim...
. It was located between the Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
city of Khan Yunis
Khan Yunis
Khan Yunis - often spelt Khan Younis or Khan Yunnis - is a city and adjacent refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics the city, its refugee camp, and its immediate surroundings had a total population of 180,000 in 2006...
and the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
The population consisted of about 520 families (2,600 people), mainly Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
Jews
Jews
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...
. It was the largest Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip and served as the commercial center for the primarily agricultural settlements surrounding it, particularly the residents of the Gush Katif bloc. Located in the town were a large range of educational institutions including: day care centers, kindergartens, the regional elementary school, an ulpena (religious dormitory high school for girls), a hesder
Hesder
Hesder is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework...
yeshiva, a yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
for advanced studies, a women's college, a community center, a research center for the study of the Sinai region, a youth center and a pensioners club. There were eight 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...
s, the regional library, two medical clinics, a strip mall including fast food restaurants as well as a supermarket and a small zoo. The industrial area housed a variety of factories engaged in carpentry, metal work, printing, mechanics, juice production and a cookie factory.
The evacuation of Neve Dekalim began on August 15, 2005 by the Israeli Army and the Israeli Police, as part of the Israel unilateral disengagement plan, and was completed on 18 August. During the evacuation, many Neve Dekalim settlers, aided by activists from Israel proper, refused to leave and were forcibly removed. The homes were bulldozed
Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
.
The Palestinian Al-Aqsa University
Al-Aqsa University
al-Aqsa University is a Palestinian university established in 1991 in the Gaza Strip region of the Palestinian territories.-Faculties:*Faculty of Applied Sciences*Faculty of Art and Human sciences*Faculty of Education*Faculty of Fine Arts...
opened a campus on the site shortly after the Israeli evacuation, and hopes the new campus will eventually replace its damaged Khan Yunis campus.
See also
- A part of Neve Dekalim is reconstituted in the movie DisengagementDisengagement (film)Disengagement is a film directed by Amos Gitai, starring Juliette Binoche, with Jeanne Moreau in a supporting role. The film is a French/Italian/Israeli co-production, and was shot in France, Germany and Israel. It is the third film of Gitai's Border Trilogy.The film premiered at the 2007 Venice...
by Amos GitaiAmos GitaiAmos Gitai , born 11 October 1950 in Haifa, Israel, is an Israeli filmmaker and director. He is mainly known for making documentaries and experimental / minimalist feature films...
.