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'''Psagot''' ({{lang-he-n|פְּסָגוֹת}}, ''lit.'' Peaks) is a [[communal settlement (Israel)|communal]] [[Israeli settlement]] in the [[West Bank]] located north of [[Jerusalem]] on Tawil hill adjacent to [[Ramallah]], [[al-Bireh]], and [[Kokhav Ya'akov]]. Psagot, established in 1981, falls under the jurisdiction of [[Mateh Binyamin Regional Council|Binyamin Regional Council]], with the council's [[headquarter]]s located there.<ref name="hareuveni" /> In 2008 it had a population of 1,623.<ref name="cbs-loc" /> |
'''Psagot''' ({{lang-he-n|פְּסָגוֹת}}, ''lit.'' Peaks) is a [[communal settlement (Israel)|communal]] [[Israeli settlement]] in the [[West Bank]] located north of [[Jerusalem]] on Tawil hill adjacent to [[Ramallah]], [[al-Bireh]], and [[Kokhav Ya'akov]]. Psagot, established in 1981, falls under the jurisdiction of [[Mateh Binyamin Regional Council|Binyamin Regional Council]], with the council's [[headquarter]]s located there.<ref name="hareuveni" /> In 2008 it had a population of 1,623.<ref name="cbs-loc" /> |
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Like all Israeli settlements in the [[Israeli-occupied territories]], Psagot is considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.<ref name=bbc>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8101110.stm Settler vineyards take root in West Bank] BBC. 17 June 2009</ref><ref name=guardian>Whitacker, Brian. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/sep/03/israel The summit of Middle East tension] The Guardian. 3 September 2001</ref> |
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==Etymology== |
==Etymology== |
Revision as of 23:32, 25 November 2010
Psagot | |
---|---|
Country | Israel |
Council | Mateh Binyamin |
Region | West Bank |
Affiliation | Amana |
Founded | 1981 |
Founded by | Beit VeGan residents |
Population (2008) | 1,623 |
Psagot (Template:Lang-he-n, lit. Peaks) is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank located north of Jerusalem on Tawil hill adjacent to Ramallah, al-Bireh, and Kokhav Ya'akov. Psagot, established in 1981, falls under the jurisdiction of Binyamin Regional Council, with the council's headquarters located there.[1] In 2008 it had a population of 1,623.[2]
Etymology
The name Psagot was proposed by one of the early residents, Moshe Ben Asher, a professor and head of The Academy of the Hebrew Language. It expresses the hope that the new village will achieve a peak in settlement and study of the Torah.[3] The name also refers to the location of Psagot on the peak of Mount Tawil.[1]
History
Before 1967, Jabel Tawil was known to locals as "Kuwaiti hill" because of numerous visitors from the Persian Gulf who hiked in the area.[4][3] In 1964, some of the land was purchased by the Jerusalem municipality for a future tourist resort.[4] In the Six-Day War, it came under Israeli control. From September 1976, Arabs were prohibited from building in the area.[5]
In 1981, Ariel Sharon, then Israeli Minister of Defense, told Pinchas Wallerstein, head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, that he would support initiatives to settle the area.[3] In July 1981, Wallerstein moved the council headquarters to the hill, then occupied by a military intelligence base. Five families from the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit VeGan took up residence there. A year later, they were joined by a group from the Kerem B'Yavneh yeshiva who came to create a kollel.[4][3]
Arab-Israeli conflict
Israeli settlements, including Psagot, have been a major element of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the subject of international criticism. According to B'Tselem, Jewish settlements in the Ramallah area, such as Beit El and Psagot, prevented the expansion of the city and cut it off from the surrounding villages.[6] Psagot and its residents have been involved in exchanges of one- and two-way gunfire with Palestinians living in Ramallah, and the settlement was used by the Israeli army in 2001 to fire two missiles into the city during the failed Marwan Barghouti assassination.[7]
In November 2009, the Psagot settlement and the advocacy group Regavim petitioned the High Court of Justice in an unsuccessful attempt to stop construction of the Al-Bireh International Stadium, citing security concerns.[8]
An official Israeli government report identified Psagot is the "parent settlement" of an Israeli outpost known as Mitzpe Ha'ai located approximately 400m to the southeast.[9] According to the report, the settlement, unauthorized by the government, was built on land appropriated illegally from its Palestinian owners. According to Peace Now, an Israeli peace activist group that does research on Israeli settlement in the West Bank, 75.69% of the combined area of Psagot and Mitzpe Ha'ai is on appropriated private land.[10]
Economy
The Psagot winery was founded by Na’ama and Yaakov Berg, who planted vineyards in 1998. In addition to a modern barrel cellar, some of the oak barriques are stored in a cave dating back to the Second Temple. The winery’s top wine is a Bordeaux blend named Edom. Regular varietal wines are produced in the Psagot series and there is also a Port-style wine. In 2007 and 2008, the winery produced 65,000 bottles annually.[11] In 2010 the winery produces 80,000 bottles of wine a year, majority of which was for export. Palestinians and settlers work there side by side, creating an island of co-existence in sea of mistrust.[12] Other wineries exist around Psagot, and the Yesha Council hopes to make them a tourist attraction. According to the local Palestinians and the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, the wineries are partially planted on a privately owned Palestinian land.[13]
References
- ^ a b HaReuveni, Immanuel (1999). Lexicon of the Land of Israel. Miskal – Yedioth Ahronoth Books. p. 795. ISBN 965-448-413-7.
- ^ "Locality File" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d Hoberman, Haggai (2008). Keneged Kol HaSikuim (in Hebrew) (1st ed.). Sifriat Netzarim page = 196-7.
{{cite book}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Hilal, Sandi (Spring 2009). "The Future Archaeology of Israel's Colonisation". Afterall Journal (20).
{{cite journal}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Arab Women's Information Committee (1 January 1977). The Arabs Under Israeli Occupation, 1980. Inst for Palestine Studies. p. 67.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Brightonpalestinecampaign.org
- ^ Whitaker, Brian (3 September 2001). "The summit of Middle East tension". Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ Hass, Amira (27 November 2009). "Settlers petition to tear down nearby Palestinian stadium". Ha'aretz. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ^ Opinion on Unauthorized Settlements, Prime Minister's Office, 2005, Appendix I, "Detailed list of settlements", p. 37
- ^ Psagot and Mitzpe Ha'ai (outpost) Peace Now.
- ^ Psagot Winery at Rogov's Reviews
- ^ Peace with a paycheck, YNET, by Akiva Novick, 08.25.10
- ^ Settler vineyards take root in West Bank BBC. 17 June 2009