Kfar Etzion
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| Kfar Etzion | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1927 (original) 1934 (first re-establishment) 1943 (second re-establishment) 1967 (third re-establishment) |
| Founded by | Yemenite immigrants |
| Region | Judea |
| Industries | Agriculture |
| Affiliation | Religious Kibbutz Movement |
| Website | www.kfar-etzion.co.il |
Kfar Etzion (Hebrew: כפר עציון, lit. Etzion Village) is a religious Israeli settlement and kibbutz located in the Judean Hills between Jerusalem and Hebron in the southern West Bank. It falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council.
[edit] History
The kibbutz was originally founded in 1927 by Yemenite immigrants, and was initially called Migdal Eder (lit. Flock Tower). However, it was abandoned in 1929 as a result of the Palestine riots. It was resettled in 1934, but had to be abandoned again in 1939 during 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. In 1943 Kfar Etzion was settled for the third time, and three other kibbutzim were established nearby; Masu'ot Yitzhak in October 1945, Ein Tzurim a year later and Revadim in February 1947. Together, they formed the Etzion Bloc. When it was founded, Kfar Etzion was at 965 metres the highest Jewish town.
Far outside the boundaries of the proposed Jewish State under the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, the settlers had the choice of evacuating their four settlements or living subject to an Arab sovereignty. They chose to hold their ground and were subsequently attacked by Arab forces.
The settlements held off the attacks for 10 days until Kfar Etzion fell and was subject to what became known as the Kfar Etzion massacre on May 14th, in which all but 4 of the defenders were summarily executed by Arab Legion and irregular forces. The other three settlements surrendered and their members were taken prisoners of war and released 9 months later.
Later in 1967 following Israel's victory in the Six-Day War, and its subsequent occupation of the West Bank, previous residents of Kfar Etzion moved back and built new houses in the former community. Today Kfar Etzion houses a museum which documents the history of Gush Etzion.
Today Kfar Etzion is a thriving kibbutz and community of over 400 residents. While many of the residents work in Jerusalem and surrounding areas the kibbutz is financially sound with most of its revenue earned from agriculture, tourism and hi-tech resources. The kibbutz houses a museum and archives which documents the history of Gush Etzion as well as a sound and light show which presents an audio visual presentation of its history past and present.
The valley onto which the kibbutz descends is believed by archaeologists to be the site of the Battle of Beth-zechariah.
[edit] External links
- Official website (Hebrew)
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