She'ar Yashuv

She'ar Yashuv is a workers' moshav in the Upper Galilee in the northeastern Hula Valley in northern Israel. It belongs to the Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council.

It was founded in 1940. As of 2008 it has 200 residents from 78 families. The residents mostly work as service workers for boarding houses. A few work in agriculture and livestock. The moshav came to public awareness after the 1997 Israeli helicopter disaster, when two IDF helicopters collided in midair above the settlement, killing 73.

History

She'ar Yashuv was first founded in February 1940 as part of the Ussishkin fortresses by 30 families from the Hanoar Hatzioni and "HaOved HaTzioni" (Zionist workers). It was originally called Metzadot Ussishkin Gimel and afterward Aleh Reish. When the battles of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War ended and a cease-fire was declared at the end of 1948, most of the inhabitants abandoned the community because of artillery shells fired by Syria from Tel Azaziat, which overlooks the community from the east.

In 1949 it was resettled by remnants of the original community. This time, by members of Hanoar Hatzioni from Hungary who survived the Holocaust, went to Israel during the war of independence and after the war were freed from the IDF and wanted to establish a settlement.

The Syrians shot at the settlers for 19 years from Tel Azaziat, and in 1957 they murdered Yosef Ben-Haim, a member of the moshav.

In the second day of the Six-Day War, the Syrians tried to capture She'ar Yashuv. Damascus radio and the French daily Le Monde even announced that the moshav had been captured by the Syrians. However, a few of the defenders who stood steadfastly chased away the Syrians with fire. The Syrians returned to attack the moshav a number of times, but did not succeed to capture it. On 9 June 1967, fighters of the Golani Brigade captured Tel Azaziat and distanced the Syrian border from the moshav.

During the 1970s and 1980s Katyusha rockets sent from Lebanese terrorists caused property damage in the moshav.

Places of interest

On the south end of the settlement are remnants of an old settlement with a flour mill.

The "Forest of the Fallen" is located on the southeast edge of the moshav. In the forest are 73 trees to remember the 73 victims of the helicopter crash that occurred on 4 February 1997 above She'ar Yashuv and nearby kibbutz Dafna.

On the east side of the moshav flows the Banias, a tributary of the Jordan River.