Har Adar

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Har Adar
Hebrew transcription(s)
  Hebrew הַר אֲדָר
Har Adar
Coordinates: 31°49′34″N 35°07′47″E / 31.82611°N 35.12972°E / 31.82611; 35.12972Coordinates: 31°49′34″N 35°07′47″E / 31.82611°N 35.12972°E / 31.82611; 35.12972
Region West Bank
District Judea and Samaria Area
Founded 1982
Government
  Type Local council (from 1995)
  Head of Municipality Aviram Cohen (since 2004)
Area
  Total 994 dunams (99.4 ha or 246 acres)
Population (2012)
  Total 3,978
Name meaning Mount Adar

Har Adar (Hebrew: הַר אֲדָר) is an Israeli settlement and local council in the Seam Zone and the Maccabim sub-region of the West Bank. Har Adar was founded in 1982[1] and has a population of approximately 4,000.[2] It is located near Abu Ghosh and the Green Line on Road 425, approximately 15 kilometers west of Jerusalem. Har Adar is ranked high on the Israeli socio-economic scales, at 9/10.[3]

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[4]

History

Harel Brigade memorial in Har Adar

The location of Har Adar was named Radar Hill (Hebrew: גִּבְעַת הָרָדָאר, Giv'at HaRadar), for the World War II British military installation there which had an anti-air radar for the protection of Jerusalem. The installation was handed over to the Jordanian Arab Legion on May 10, 1948, prior to the second phase of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.[5] 23 attempts by the Palmach's Harel Brigade to conquer it failed,[1] although the Jewish force held the position for four days starting May 22, 1948.[5] It was finally captured in the Six-Day War by the Harel Brigade. A monument for the fallen soldiers of the brigade stands at the top of the town.[1]

The current settlement was founded in 1982 by the Radar Hill Organization. Har Adar (lit. Mount Adar) was a similar-sounding Hebrew name given to the hill and the settlement.[1]

Status under international law

Like all Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories, Har Adar 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.[4] This view has been rejected by the International Court of Justice and the International Committee of the Red Cross.[6]

Demographics

Westward view from Har Adar

In 2009, the population of Har Adar was 99.3% Jewish, with a more or less even distribution of men and women (1,700 men and 1,600 women).[3] The age distribution was as follows:

Age0–45–910–1415–1920–2930–4445–5960–6465–7475+
Percentage 9.610.39.88.012.420.317.66.74.40.9
Source: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics[3]

Economy

Har Adar is ranked 9/10 (high) on the Israeli socio-economic scale.[3] According to Business Data Israel (BDI), in 2006 Har Adar had the most stable economy of all Israeli local councils, along with Kfar Shmaryahu.[7] In 2009, the municipal surplus stood at NIS 187,000.[3]

In 2009, there were 1,471 salaried workers in Har Adar. The average salary for males was NIS 15,987, and 8,882 for women – both higher than the national average. 25.5% salaried workers worked for minimum wage. In addition, there were 143 self-employed workers, with an average income of NIS 12,311.[3]

Some 600 Palestinians work as day laborers in Har Adar. According to local council regulations they are not permitted to walk around freely, and must be driven by their employers, who are responsible for providing them with all their needs. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel sees this as a form of racism. [8]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 HaReuveni, Immanuel (1999). Lexicon of the Land of Israel. Miskal - Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books. p. 255. ISBN 965-448-413-7.  (Hebrew)
  2. http://www.moin.gov.il/Subjects/Bchirot/Documents/election-yosh.pdf
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Local Authorities in Israel 2009, Publication #1451 - Municipality Profiles - Har Adar". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved September 8, 2011.  (Hebrew)
  4. 4.0 4.1 "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Vilnai, Ze'ev (1976). "Giv'at HaRadar". Ariel Encyclopedia. Volume 2. Israel: Am Oved. pp. 1165–1166.  (Hebrew)
  6. Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory International Court of Justice, 9 July 2004. pp. 44-45
  7. "Har Adar: The Most Economically Organized Council". Emtza HaShavu'a (Jerusalem) (Yedioth Ahronoth). February 26, 2008.  (Hebrew)
  8. Ababa, Danny Adino (March 22, 2009). "Har Adar Banning Movement of Palestinians". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2009-10-08. 

External links

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