Beit Aryeh-Ofarim

Beit Aryeh-Ofarim (Hebrew: בֵּית אַרְיֵה-עֳפָרִים) is an Israeli settlement and local council in the northern West Bank. It is located 32 kilometers (20 mi) north of Jerusalem and 25 kilometers (16 mi) east of Tel Aviv near the Palestinian village al-Lubban al-Gharbi, 3.8 km kilometers east of the Green line. It is situated inside the Israeli West Bank barrier[2] on 8,500 dunams of land. In 2018 it had a population of 5,139.

Beit Aryeh

  • בֵּית אַרְיֵה-עֳפָרִים‎
  • بيت آريه‎
Beit Aryeh
Coordinates: 32°2′7.79″N 35°3′13.68″E
RegionWest Bank
DistrictJudea and Samaria Area
Founded1981
Government
 • TypeLocal council (from 1989)
 • Head of MunicipalityYehuda Elboim
Area
 • Total8,500 dunams (8.5 km2 or 3.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total5,139
 • Density600/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Name meaningHouse of Aryeh - Fawns

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[3][4]

History

Established in 1981 Beit Aryeh was recognised as a local council in 1989. In 2004, it merged with Ofarim. Beit Aryeh was named for former Knesset member Aryeh Ben-Eliezer, a prominent Revisionist Zionist leader who was amongst the founders of Herut.[5]

According to ARIJ, the land for Beit Aryeh-Ofarim was confiscated by Israel from two nearby Palestinian villages: Aboud[6] and Al-Lubban al-Gharbi.[7][8]

In 2011, the Israeli Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with the municipality of Beit Aryeh approving the construction of 100 homes and a bypass road between Beit Aryeh and Ofarim.[9]

Notable residents

References
  1. "Population in the Localities 2018" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 25 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  2. "Beit Arye". Peace Now. Archived from the original on 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  3. "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  4. "Israel announces plans for 1,400 new settlement homes". BBC. 10 January 2014. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this...Israel's housing ministry issued tenders for the construction of 801 housing units in West Bank settlements, including Efrat, Elkana and Emanuel, and 600 in Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem.
  5. Aryeh Ben-Eliezer Knesset
  6. ‘Abud Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 17
  7. Al Lubban al Gharbi Village Profile, ARIJ, p. 16
  8. Yumna Patel, 'Drowning among Israeli settlements, an ancient Christian village in Palestine struggles to survive,' Mondoweiss 17 August 2018
  9. "100 Homes and a Bypass Road Approved in Beit Arye". Peace Now. 29 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2013-10-09. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
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