Nitzan

Nitzan
Council	Hof Ashkelon
Region	Southern coastal plain
Coordinates	31°44′7.79″N 34°37′29.28″E / 31.7354972°N 34.6248°E / 31.7354972; 34.6248Coordinates: 31°44′7.79″N 34°37′29.28″E / 31.7354972°N 34.6248°E / 31.7354972; 34.6248
Nitzan

Front of a typical caravilla in Nitzan

Vacant caravillas in Nitzan

Nitzan (Hebrew: ניצן‎, lit. Flower bud) is a religiously observant communal settlement in southern Israel. Located among the Nitzanim sand dunes north of Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 3,000. The town has a large concentration of Bnei Menashe Jews (10 -20% of the population), from the India/Myanmar Border Region of India.

The first settlement on Nitzan's current grounds was the kibbutz of Nitzanim in 1943. The kibbutz was conquered by Egypt during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, but recaptured by Israel towards the end of the conflict. However, the kibbutz was re-established four miles to the south. In 1949 Nitzanim Youth Village was established on the site, but this closed in 1990, and a few years later, foundations were laid for the modern Nitzan.

By 1995 Nitzan had a population of 105. It experienced rapid expansion in the mid-2000s after being selected to temporarily house a large group of families evacuated from Gush Katif as part of disengagement plan. 500 temporary caravillas were constructed on the eastern end of Nitzan (an area which became known as Nitzan Bet), and 250 more were ordered by the Israeli Government. According to government plans, a school and sports area will eventually be constructed.

Several environmental organisations objected to the new construction, which increased Nitzan's area by four-and-a-half times, fearing damage to the fragile sand dune ecosystem. The neighbourhood has also been the target of criticism from the settlers, as well as Israeli human-rights groups,^[1][2] citing a lack of adequate housing and facilities. They argue that governmental negligence resulted in a housing shortage which forced large families to separate into multiple caravillas, and that basic infrastructure like a youth area, nursery, and synagogue were absent.

References

1. ^ First families move to Nitzan homes; others opt for tents Haaretz, 1 August 2005
2. ^ Nature Society asks Mazuz to halt Nitzan construction Haaretz, 16 May 2005