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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 reestablish 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
- Har Gilo
- Alon Shvut
- Rosh Tzurim
- Elazar (settlement)
- Tekoa
- Migdal Oz
- 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.
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