Migdalim

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 2018 it had a population of 368.

Migdalim

מִגְדָּלִים
Migdalim
Coordinates: 32°5′24.72″N 35°20′32.28″E
CountryIsrael
DistrictJudea and Samaria Area
CouncilShomrom
RegionWest Bank
AffiliationAmana
Founded1984
Founded byNahal
Population
 (2018)[1]
368
Name meaningTowers

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 from Qusra[3] and 17 dunums 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. "Population in the Localities 2018" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 25 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  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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