Migdalim

Migdalim
מִגְדָּלִים‬
Migdalim
Coordinates: 32°5′24.72″N 35°20′32.28″E / 32.0902000°N 35.3423000°E / 32.0902000; 35.3423000Coordinates: 32°5′24.72″N 35°20′32.28″E / 32.0902000°N 35.3423000°E / 32.0902000; 35.3423000
District Judea and Samaria Area
Council Shomrom
Region West Bank
Affiliation Amana
Founded 1984
Founded by Nahal
Population (2017)[1] 335
Name meaning Towers

Migdalim (Hebrew: מִגְדָּלִים‬) is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located 45 kilometres east of Tel Aviv on road 505 and adjacent to the Palestinian hamlet of Qusra, it is organised as a community settlement and falls under the jurisdiction of Shomron Regional Council. In 2017 it had a population of 335.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[2]

History

Migdalim was first established in 1984 as a pioneer Nahal military outpost, and demilitarized when turned over to residential purposes in 1986 to non-Orthodox Jewish Israelis. One of the reasons for choosing this location was to provide a continuity of settlements along the Trans-Samaria Highway between Kfar Tapuah on the "mountain spine" and Ma'ale Efrayim in the Jordan Valley.

According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated land from two Palestinian villages nearby in order to construct Migdalim: 177 dunums of land was confiscated from Qusra,[3] while 17 dunums were confiscated from Jurish.[4]

On March 1, 2006, Eldad Abir, a resident of Migdalim, married with two children, was shot at point blank range and killed by Palestinians while working in the local gas station. The Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the murder.[5]

An influx of new residents between 2012 and 2017 dramatically changed the demographics of Migdalim which shifted from being a dominantly secular Israeli community to becoming mix of religious and nonreligious, with majority leaning to the first. Events around hostilities with neighboring Palestinian town Qusra in December 2017 brought to light internal disputes between the two groups in Migdalim. A Facebook group called “Saving Migdalim” was formed by residents who claim that their town was taken over and its non religious atmosphere has changed as result.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "List of localities, in Alphabetical order" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  2. ↑ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  3. ↑ Qusra Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 15
  4. ↑ Jurish Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 15
  5. ↑ "Victims of Palestinian Violence and Terrorism since September 2000". State of Israel - Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  6. ↑ Magid, Jacob (2 December 2017). "Deadly Qusra clash exacerbates secular-religious divide at West Bank settlement". Times of Israel. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
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