Nir Oz

Nir Oz
Hebrew	נִיר עֹז
Founded	1 October 1955
Founded by	Nahal
Council	Eshkol
Region	North-western Negev
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Coordinates	31°18′36.71″N 34°24′7.55″E / 31.3101972°N 34.4020972°E / 31.3101972; 34.4020972Coordinates: 31°18′36.71″N 34°24′7.55″E / 31.3101972°N 34.4020972°E / 31.3101972; 34.4020972
Population	337[1] (2008)
Nir Oz

Nir Oz (Hebrew: נִיר עֹז, ניר עוז‎‎, lit. Meadow of Strength) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. It is located in the northwestern Negev desert between Magen and Nirim, and covers 20,000 dunams. Nir Oz is under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 348. Founded on October 1, 1955 as a Nahal settlement, it was recognized as a kibbutz two months later.

Economy

In addition to agriculture, Nir Oz has a factory for silicon sealant products and an engineering firm. In recent years, Nir Oz has become a major grower of asparagus for export.^[2]

Water conservation

In 1960, Nir Oz introduced a long-term water saving gardening project on 27 acres (110,000 m²) of kibbutz land. Some 750 drought-resistant plants have been tested. The garden, designed by landscape architect Hayyim Kahanovich, uses only 50% of the water used in the center and north of the country. The project is conducted in cooperation with Ben Gurion University of the Negev and serves as a study and observation site for researchers, gardeners, teachers and students from all over the country. ^[3]

Arab-Israeli conflict

Due to its proximity to Gaza, Nir Oz farmers often come under Palestinian sniper fire. In 2008, the Israel Defense Forces asked the kibbutz to harvest its potatoes at night to lower the risk of attack. ^[4] On June 5, 2008, a mortar bomb fired from the Gaza Strip hit the Nirlat paint factory on the kibbutz, killing an employee and wounding four others. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. ^[5]

References

1. ^ "Locality File" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2008. http://www.cbs.gov.il/ishuvim/ishuv2008/bycode.xls. Retrieved 2010-06-25. 
2. ^ Digging for white gold, Haaretz
3. ^ Wise gardening in Kibbutz Nir Oz
4. ^ The moon works against Nir Oz farmers
5. ^ Nir Oz under attack

External links

• Nir Oz Negev Information Center