Be'er Ora

Be'er Ora ( _he. בְּאֵר אוֹרָה) is a communal settlement near Eilat in the far south of Israel. It belongs to the Hevel Eilot Regional Council. It is located in the Arava region, just west of Highway 90, north of kibbutz Eilot, and south of Elifaz and Timna Park. As of 2007, twenty families live there.

History

Be'er Ora was founded as part of a program to populate the Arava and to bring people from central Israel to the Negev, which was determined to be a preferred place for new settlement.

Be'er Ora was founded in 2001. Previously there was a Gadna army base, also called Be'er Ora, in that location.

The word "Be'er" means "well of water". Before the community was established, there was a well within its area that served as the first source of fresh water for Eilat, before Eilat was connected to the national water network.

The word "Ora" (light) is borrowed from the nearby Ora Mountain and Ora Creek.

Aviation near Eilat

As of 2008, there are three airports in the far south of Israel: Eilat Airport in the city of Eilat, Yotvata Airport in Yotvata about 40 km north of Eilat, and Ovda International Airport about 50 km north of Eilat.

In 2004, the government decided to move Eilat Airport to an empty area near Be'er Ora. This decision was made because the airport in Eilat is located very close to residential and commercial areas. (Planes landing in Eilat pass directly over a large shopping mall.) This causes a severe danger to the many residents and tourists.

As the airport moves to near Be'er Ora, the community is likely to develop significantly and increase in population. Or|date=January 2008