Gush Etzion
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Gush Etzion is a group of Israeli settlements in the Northern Judea region of the West Bank. It was first established between 1943 and 1947, halfway between Jerusalem and Hebron. Prior attempts to establish 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, Massuot 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. The modern Gush Etzion Regional Council includes both the historic Gush Etzion as well as other areas in northern Judea.
Currently, The Gush Etzion Regional Council includes:
- Kfar Etzion (Kibbutz)
- Har Gilo (physically not within Gush Etzion)
- Alon Shvut
- Rosh Tzurim (Kibbutz)
- Elazar
- Tekoa (physically not within Gush Etzion)
- Migdal Oz (Kibbutz)
- Maale Amos
- Neve Daniel
- Nokdim - (El David)
- Metzad
- Carmei Tzur
- Kedar (physically not within Gush Etzion)
- Bat Ayin
- Betar Illit (independent municipality physically located within Gush Etzion)
- Efrata (independent municipality physically located within Gush Etzion)
- Gvaot