Beit Yatir

Beit Yatir / Metzadot Yehuda
בית יתיר‎ / מְצָדוֹת יְהוּדָה
Beit Yatir / Metzadot Yehuda is located in the Southern West Bank
Beit Yatir / Metzadot Yehuda
Beit Yatir / Metzadot Yehuda
Coordinates: 31°22′00″N 35°06′42″E / 31.36667°N 35.11167°E / 31.36667; 35.11167
DistrictJudea and Samaria Area
CouncilHar Hevron
RegionWest Bank
AffiliationAmana
Founded1979
Population
 (2022)[1]
696

Beit Yatir (Hebrew: בית יתיר), officially Metzadot Yehuda (Hebrew: מְצָדוֹת יְהוּדָה), is an Israeli settlement in the southern Hebron Hills of the West Bank, organized as a religious-Zionist Orthodox moshav. Located on a hill, 900 metres above sea level, near the Green Line, south of Susiya, and close to the Palestinian village of as-Seefer,[2] it falls under the jurisdiction of Har Hevron Regional Council. In 2022, it had a population of 696.[1]

The ruins of the ancient town of Eshtemoa are nearby.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[3]

History

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Beit Yatir was established in 1979 by students from the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva. In 1983, the moshav was moved southwest from its original location south of the town of as-Samu to its current location in the Yatir Forest. A visual landmark of the moshav is a high wind turbine.

The social make-up of the moshav residents varies between sabras to immigrants from various countries, including France, Russian, Brazil, and English-speaking countries. The moshav does not require residents to become members of the cooperative.

Education

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A Religious Pre-Army Mechina, with several dozen students enrolled, is headed by Rabbi Moshe Hagar.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ Weibel, Catherine Seam Zone keeps Palestinian children in limbo, disrupting education Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine UNICEF 21 May 2012]
  3. ^ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
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