| Zohar
זוהר, זֹהַר زوهر | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: Brightness | |
  Zohar | |
| Coordinates: 31°35′43″N 34°41′32″E / 31.59528°N 34.69222°E / 31.59528; 34.69222 | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Southern |
| Council | Lakhish |
| Affiliation | Agricultural Union |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Founded by | Algerian and Tunisian Jews |
| Population | 327 |
Zohar (Hebrew: זֹהַר, lit. Brightness) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located near the city of Kiryat Gat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lakhish Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 327.
A large lake that serves as a reservoir lies near the town.
History
The moshav was founded in 1956 by Jewish refugees from Algeria and Tunisia on land, that had belonged to the Arab village of al-Faluja, as part of the effort to settle Hevel Lakhish.
According to Walid Khalidi, Zohar is founded on the land belonging to the depopulated Palestinian village of Burayr.
Its name signifies the desire of the inhabitants to be quickly absorbed in what was then a remote frontier region. In later years, new immigrants from Iraq, Russia and Hungary settled there.
In the 1950s and 1960s the moshav was a target for Palestinian fedayeen who infiltrated into Israel from Gaza.
References
- ^ "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p.485, ISBN 965-220-186-3
- Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 92. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
| Lakhish Regional Council | |
|---|---|
| Moshavim | |
| Community settlement | |