| Meirav | |
| Founded | 1982 (original location) 1987 (current location) |
| Founded by | Nahal |
| Region | Beit She'an Valley |
| Affiliation | Religious Kibbutz Movement |
| Coordinates | |
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Meirav
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| Website | www.merav.net |
Meirav (Hebrew: מֵירַב) or Merav is a religious kibbutz located on the downward slopes of Mount Gilboa in Israel. Located about ten kilometres southwest of Beit She'an and less than 500 metres from the Green Line, it falls under the jurisdiction of Valley of Springs Regional Council (Hebrew: מועצה אזורית עמק המעיינות, Mo'atza Azorit Emeq Hamaayanot), known until 2008 as the Beit She'an Valley Regional Council.
The kibbutz was founded initially as a Nahal settlement on Mount Malkishua in 1982, and is the newest religious kibbutz in the country.[1] In 1987 it moved to its current location on Mount Avinadav.
Meirav is located just south of another religious kibbutz, Ma'ale Gilboa. As they are both religious kibbutzim, it was decided that although they are located in the Gilboa mountains (and would naturally fall under the jurisdiction of Gilboa Regional Council), it would be better to include them in Beit She'an Valley Regional Council, where there is a group of religious kibbutzim, including Ein HaNatziv, Sde Eliyahu, Shluhot and Tirat Zvi.
On 18 November 2011, Haaretz reported that the route of the separation barrier near kibbutz Meirav has been changed so that about 1,500 dunams (375 acres) of Palestinian land would be on the Israeli side. The parcel of land was transferred to the kibbutz, which is located about seven kilometers northwest of it. It is thought to be the first instance of Palestinian-owned land being transferred to a community on Israeli territory within the Green line.[2]
Some people connect the name "Meirav" to the story of Saul's death in the Battle of Gilboa against the Philistines, which is believed to have occurred nearby, because Saul's oldest daughter was named Meirav (1 Samuel 14:49).[3] However, the name can also be interpreted as meaning "a lot of water" and " the most of".
As well as agriculture, the kibbutz also has a candle factory. Until 2001 it employed around 100 Palestinians from the nearby West Bank village of Jilabaun. However, a terrorist attack on the kibbutz's residents, resulting in the death of a young girl, and another in Beit She'an led to the building of a fence between the two communities, resulting in the Palestinians losing their jobs.[4]
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