Gvat

Infobox_Kibbutz
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pushpin_mapsize=
latd=32 |latm=40 |lats=30.71 |latNS=N
longd=35 |longm=12 |longs=41.75 |longEW=E


caption= Gvat's dining hall
imgsize= 250
name = Gvat
altOffSp=Gevat
hebname=Hebrew|גבת
district=north
foundation = 28 November 1926
founded_by = Emigrants from Pinsk
region = Galilee
council = Jezreel Valley
industry = irrigation equipment production, agriculture
affiliation = Kibbutz Movement
website = http://www.gvat.org.il/

Gvat or Gevat ( _he. גְּבַת) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located near Migdal HaEmek, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 670. It is a founder of the communal company Plastro, one of the world's biggest drip irrigation systems manufacturers.

History

The kibbutz was established on November 28, 1926 in Jibta, an abandoned Arab village in the British Mandate of Palestine cite web|url=http://www.emekyizrael.org.il/site/he/eCity.asp?pi=3731|title=Communities|publisher=Emek Yizrael Regional Council|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-30] by a group of immigrants of the Fourth Aliyah who were from Pinsk, then in Poland (today in Belarus), including Haim Givati, later a government minister of Israel. In 1922 they had formed the Kvutza in memory of the 35 members of the Jewish community of Pinsk, who were killed by the Polish Army on April 5, 1919 during the Pinsk massacrecite book|last= Wistrich|first=Robert S.|coauthors=David Ohana|title=The Shaping of Israeli Identity|publisher=Routledge|date=1995|pages=162|isbn=0714646415|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=_GuxdqOVOUcC&pg=PT178&dq=%22+Pinsk+for+whom+the+Kibbutz+was+named%22&ei=m8S5SKXNBI3kywSBuNXGBw&sig=ACfU3U1elGb0fnVPMDd3afczPqlLX9rnsQ#PPT179,M1|accessdate=2008-08-30|language=English] cite book|last=Turai|first=Abraham |title=The Emek Jezreel and the Beisan Valley|date=1947|pages=100] Cite web
title = Gvat
work = The Galilee settlement site
accessdate = 2008-08-30
url = http://www.romgalil.org.il/cds/159/ he icon] . Name of the kibbutz was taken from Givta, a town located near Tzippori during the period of the Second Temple.In 1931 with a help by the Jewish National Fund and donations from Pinsk Jewish community, a forest named after the victims of Pinsk massacre was planted near Gevat. Kibbutz was later joined by Poalei Zion movement adherents from Pinsk and its region and by members of HaHalutz from Poland and Germany.

In 1951, following the split in The United Kibbutz ( _he. הקיבוץ המאוחד‎, HaKibbutz HaMeuhad) movement, some of the kibbutz's members left Gevat and in 1952 cite book|last=Katriel|first=Tamar |title=Performing the Past: A Study of Israeli Settlement Museum|date=1997|isbn=0805816585|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=81LTKShLWYUC&pg=PA16&dq=Gvat+kibbutz&ei=BYOxSMrwOoLoyASbtPH1Bg&sig=ACfU3U0aFYe2YPjBjwQ6HxhN0RJS2fTH6w#PPA23,M1|accessdate=2008-08-30] together with members of Kvutzat HaSharon founded kibbutz Ihud HaSharon - Gevat, later renamed to Yif'at.During the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War, on October 9, 1973, shortly before sunrise, Soviet-made surface-to-surface missile Frog-7 launched by Syria, presumably aimed at a nearby airfield [Netanel Lorch "One Long War: Arab Versus Jew Since 1920", Herzl Press, 1976, p.192] , hit Gevat. Despite extensive damage to the buildings, there were no casualties among population, since the inhabitants weresleeping in underground shelters.cite book|last= Middleton|first=Drew |title= Crossroads of Modern Warfare|publisher=Doubleday|date=1983|pages=285|isbn=ISBN 0385149379]

Geography and demographics

Gvat is situated close to Migdal HaEmek city, in the middle of the Jezreel Valley in the Lower Galilee region of Israel. Gvat is under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council, a subdivision of North District of Israel. As of 2006 Gvat had a population of 670 .

Economy

Irrigation equipment manufacturing company Plastro was established in 1966 by Kibbutz Gvatcite web|url=http://www.plastro.com/template/default.aspx?maincat=2|title=About Us|publisher=www.plastro.com|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-30] . Plastro is world's second biggest drip irrigation company after Netafim also from Israelcite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/869617.html|title=John Deere negotiating to buy controlling interest in Plastro|last=Gavison|first=Yoram |date=2007-06-11|publisher=www.haaretz.com|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-30] Plastro and Netafim together with Israel's other irrigation equipment company NaanDan Irrigation Systems is in control of roughly a half of the market, worth from $1 to $1.5 billion a year globallycite web|url=http://www.export.gov.il/Eng/_Articles/Article.asp?ArticleID=4050&CategoryID=818|title=Israel's Innovative Irrigation Systems|date=2006-08-16|publisher=The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute |language=English|accessdate=2008-08-30] .

In 2005 Australian billionaire John Gandel, acquired 50% interest in Plastro Irrigation Systemscite web|url=http://www.israeltrade.org.au/comnews0405.htm|title=Newsletter April 2005|date=2005-04|publisher=Israel Trade Commission|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-30] . But in May 2007 Kibbutz Gvat, using a loan from John Deere & Company, exercised an option to buy back the shares.

In 2008 Kibbutz Gvat agreed to sell its 75.1% stake at Plastro Irrigation Systems Ltd to John Deere at a company value of NIS 265 million.cite web|url=http://www.stepstrategy.net/artman/publish/article_3558.shtml|title= John Deere buys Plastro|last=Shauly|first=Avi|date=2008-02-10|publisher= www.globes-online.com|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-30] John Deere was obliged to leave Plastro at the kibbutz employing Kibbutz Gvat members for 15 years. Also John Deere agreed to pay Kibbutz $1.3 million annually over ten years for a non-competition agreement, in exchange Kibbutz Gvat agreed to cease receiving management fees for Plastro

Another sector of Gvat's economy is agriculture. Field crops, citrus fruit, dairy, poultry, ostriches are also farmed and produced in Gvat.

Culture

Kibbutz Gvat runs Bet Herschel theatre, named after one of the kibbutz founders, where movies and stage productions are shown. Kibbutz also has a regional sports centre.

There are monuments in Gvat commemorating those who perished during the Holocaust and Pinsk massacrecite web|url=http://www.pinskjews.org.il/eng/history01.asp|title=The History|publisher=The Jewish Community of Pinsk|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-30]

Notable residents

*Haim Givati (1901-1990), Minister of Agriculture of Israel between 1964 and 1974.
*Fania Bergstein (1908-1950), Hebrew poetcite web|url=http://www.bh.org.il/names/POW/Bergstein.asp|title=Personality of the Week|publisher=Beth Hatefutsoth, the Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-30] .

References

External links

* [http://www.gvat.org.il/ Gvat website] he icon
* [http://amudanan.co.il/?lon=35.2116&lat=32.6752 Map of Gvat]