Neve Daniel

Neve Daniel

Neve Daniel (Hebrew: נְוֵה דָּנִיֵּאל‎‎) is an Israeli settlement and communal settlement located in western Gush Etzion in the southern West Bank. Located south of Jerusalem and just west of Bethlehem, it sits atop one of the highest points in the area - close to 1,000 meters above sea level, and has a view of much of the Mediterranean coastal plain, as well as the mountains of Jordan.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.^[1]

History

Neve Daniel was established on July 18, 1982 on the site of the Cohen Farm. The Cohen Farm was founded on September 6, 1935, on lands purchased from the nearby village of al-Khadr that were transferred to the Jewish National Fund in 1943. The farm was abandoned during the Arab riots, and remained under Jordanian control until 1967.

The new community was named for Nebi Daniel, a bend in the road several kilometers southwest of Bethlehem, where a convoy bringing supplies to Gush Etzion was ambushed. The road to Gush Etzion had been blocked by Arab villagers who organized attacks on vehicles traveling to and from Jerusalem. The convoys traversing the route consisted mainly of "armored" pickup trucks fitted with makeshift tin and plywood roofs. ^[2] On 27 March 1948, a convoy of 51 vehicles returning from Gush Etzion encountered an impassable roadblock and came to a halt. The Arabs positioned on both sides of the road opened fire. ^[3] During a 30-hour battle, fifteen Jews were killed, including the commander of the convoy, Zerubavel Horowitz. ^[4] The attack also left 73 wounded, and the Haganah's fleet of armored transport vehicles was nearly decimated. Ten armored cars, 4 armored buses and 25 armor-plated trucks were destroyed. ^[5]

On a visit to Neve Daniel in 2009, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter told his hosts: "I have been fortunate this afternoon in learning the perspectives that I did not have." ^[6]At a meeting in the garden of Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion regional council, Carter said: "This particular settlement area is not one that I can envision ever being abandoned or changed over into Palestinian territory. This is part of settlements close to the 1967 line that I think will be here forever." ^[7]

Status under international law

Like all Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories, Neve Daniel is considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. The international community considers Israeli settlements to violate the Fourth Geneva Convention's prohibition on the transfer of an occupying power's civilian population into occupied territory. Israel disputes that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the Palestinian territories as they had not been legally held by a sovereign prior to Israel taking control of them.^[1] This view has been rejected by the International Court of Justice and the International Committee of the Red Cross.^[8]

Demography

Neve Daniel has a mixed population of native Israelis and immigrants from the former Soviet Union, France, Canada, and the United States. The population doubled from 800 residents in 2001 to nearly 1,500 in 2008. The majority of residents are religious Zionists.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1682640.stm. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
2. ^ Gush Etzion massacre
3. ^ Nebi Daniel Convoy
4. ^ A History of Gush Etzion
5. ^ Debacle at Nebi Daniel
6. ^ Carter's visit to Neve Daniel
7. ^ Carter talks Mideast peace
8. ^ Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory International Court of Justice, 9 July 2004. pp. 44-45

Coordinates: 31°40′40″N 35°08′36″E / 31.67789°N 35.14329°E / 31.67789; 35.14329