Avshalom, Israel

Avshalom (Hebrew: אַבְשָׁלוֹם‎) is a community settlement and regional centre in southern Israel. Located near the Egypt – Gaza Strip border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2019 it had a population of 298.[1]

Avshalom

אַבְשָׁלוֹם‎
أفشالوم
Avshalom
Avshalom
Coordinates: 31°11′43″N 34°19′54″E
Country Israel
DistrictSouthern
CouncilEshkol
Founded1990
Founded byRussian immigrants
Population
 (2019)[1]
298

History

Founded in 1990, the settlement was named after Avshalom Feinberg, a member of the Nili spy ring who was killed in 1917 on his way to rendezvous with British forces in the northern Sinai, not far from the village's location. It was initially a caravan site for immigrants from the former Soviet Union who wanted to be absorbed into the Hevel Shalom settlements. In 1997, as these settlements refused to absorb them, it became a permanent settlement, with most of the residents working in nearby settlements.[2]

Next to Highway 232, about 3 km west of Avshalom junction, lies the Ugdat HaPlada Monument, commemorating the casualties of the 84th Armored Division who died during the Six-Day War. The monument, designed by the architect Israel Gudovich, was erected at Yamit in 1977. After the Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai it was rebuilt at its present location using the same design.[2]

The community made headlines in August 2018, when they protested the presence of a group of 15 South-Sudanese agriculture exchange students and the students were moved. The villagers were accused of racism, but claimed themselves that they protested the arrival of a group of 15 young men.[3][4]

See also

References
  1. "Population in the Localities 2019" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  2. Mapa's concise gazetteer of Israel. Yuval El'azari (ed.). Tel-Aviv: Mapa Publishing. 2005. p. 16. ISBN 965-7184-34-7.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Zikri, Almog Ben (2018-08-26). "South Sudanese Students Booted From Israeli Community After Residents Claim They'll Bring 'Rape, Murder and Break-ins'". Haaretz. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  4. "Israeli Community Ejects 15 Visiting African Students 'Because They're Animals, Rapists, Human Trash'". Sahara Reporters. 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
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