Kfar HaOranim
Kfar HaOranim
כְּפָר הָאֳרָנִים כפר האורנים | |
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| Etymology: Village of the Pines | |
  Kfar HaOranim  Kfar HaOranim | |
| Coordinates: 31°55′9″N 35°2′18″E / 31.91917°N 35.03833°E / 31.91917; 35.03833 | |
| District | Judea and Samaria Area |
| Council | Mateh Binyamin |
| Region | West Bank |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founded by | Amana |
| Population (2022)[1] | 2,604 |
Kfar HaOranim (Hebrew: כְּפָר הָאֳרָנִים, lit. 'Village of the Pines'), also known as Menora (Hebrew: מְנוֹרָה) or Giv'at Ehud, is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Contiguous with Lapid and located near to the major city of Modi'in, it is organised as a community settlement and falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 2,604.
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[2]
History
Planning for the settlement (then named Giv'at Ehud, after Ehud Ben-Amitai, a fighter pilot killed in a training accident) began in 1981. The cornerstone was laid in 1984 at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, by which time the name had changed to Menora. However, legal issues over the ownership of the land led to a delay in construction. The first residents finally moved in during October 1997.[citation needed]
According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated 682 dunams of land from the Palestinian village of Saffa for the construction of Menora/Kfar HaOranim.[3]
Archeology
On a hill in the heart of the settlement archeological finds were discovered dating back to the Bar Kokhba Revolt.[4] A hiding complex was uncovered as well as a mikveh just north of the hiding complex, along with coins from that period. Furthermore a bath house from the Roman period was uncovered and preserved. About a kilometer south of these findings, the remains of an agricultural farm and wine cellar were discovered, dating back to the Byzantine period.
References
- ^ "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- ^ Saffa village profile, ARIJ, p. 17
- ^ בית מרחץ רומי וחווה חקלאית ביזאנטית בישוה מנורה (ח' כריכור) (in Hebrew).