Gush Etzion
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Gush Etzion is a group of Israeli settlements first established between 1943 and 1947 located in the West Bank, halfway between Jerusalem and Hebron. Prior attempts to establish communities in the area in 1917-1919 and 1935-1936 failed. The history of the settlements is split into two distinct periods as a result of the destruction by Arab armed forces of the original communities: Kfar Etzion, Maasuot Yitzchak, Ein Tzurim and Revadim during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. (See Kfar Etzion massacre.)
Settlements were reestablished after the Six-Day War, beginning with Kfar Etzion in September 1967. Many of the returnees to Kfar Etzion were children of members of the original settlements.
Currently, Gush Etzion includes:
- Kfar Etzion (Kibutz)
- Har Gilo
- Alon Shvut
- Rosh Tzurim (Kibutz)
- Elazar
- Tekoa
- Migdal Oz (Kibutz)
- Maale Amos
- Neve Daniel
- Nokdim - El David
- Metzad
- Carmei Tzur
- Kedar
- Bat Ayin
- Efrat (independent municipality physically located within Gush Etzion)
External links
- Gush Etzion (http://www.gush-etzion.org.il/) home page.
- Kibbutz Kfar Etzion (http://www.kfar-etzion.co.il) home page.he:גוש עציון