Eli, Mateh Binyamin

Eli
Eli
Coordinates: 32°4′17.03″N 35°15′55.08″E / 32.0713972°N 35.2653000°ECoordinates: 32°4′17.03″N 35°15′55.08″E / 32.0713972°N 35.2653000°E
District Judea and Samaria Area
Council Mateh Binyamin
Region West Bank
Founded 1984
Website www.eli.co.il

Eli (Hebrew: עֵלִי) is a large mixed communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located on Highway 60 north of Jerusalem and Ramallah, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. It was named after the biblical high-priest who served in the Tabernacle in nearby biblical Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:9). At the end of 2013 it had a population of 3,650.[1] The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[2]

Eli was established on 11 September 1984, when three families moved into recently placed buildings. It was the first settlement to be attempted without a core group of families. Several families from Ofra, Kokhav HaShahar, and Shilo were persuaded to come for at least a year while more families would be found. The settlement was originally called 'Givat Levona' after the adjacent settlement Ma'ale Levona.[3]

In recent years the town has evolved into the municipal center for the Shilo area settlement bloc. Eli is also home to the Bnei David pre-military Mechina academy. This yeshiva also offers post-army academic programs.

Bnei David

President of Israel Reuven Rivlin in mechina Bnei David

Bnei David is the first pre-military modern orthodox Mechina academy (1988) and was founded by Rabbis Eli Sadan and Yig'al Levinstein. Many of the graduates have reached high rank in the IDF. It is an integral part of Eli as many of the rabbis, administrators, graduates and students live in Eli. There are currently over 500 students studing at Bnei David and over 2,500 graduates, over 40% of them became officers and the majority served in in combatant or elite units.[4] Shimon Peres have called it "Pride for the country".[5]

Graduates of Bnei David who died during their IDF service include Roi Klein, Emmanuel Moreno and Amihai Merhavia.

2014 Master Plan

In 2013 the Israeli Civil Administration published a master plan (no.237) which, if approved, would legitimize hundreds of the illegal structures in Eli, built with the assistance of the Israeli Housing Ministry and Amana. The plan was started by the Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization. It covers 1000 dunams, but would allow the expansion of other outposts to embrace 6,000 dunams, including privately owned Palestinian land. Within the plan's map there are 7 Palestinian enclaves, where Palestinians may carry out agricultural projects, but are denied the right to build. The proposal would legalize constructions built on nearby Palestinian village lands, such as those of As-Sawiye and Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, incorporating Eli's four illegal outposts, two of which are built on lands belonging to the Palestinian village of Quaryut. The Amana website states that the development fulfils the initial vision of creating 'one long territorial contiguity' of Jewish settlers between Eli and both Shiloh and Ma'ale Levona. The plan depends on declaring collectively owned Palestinian village lands in question as ownerless under Ottoman law, a classification which allows them to be defined as "state property" reserved for Jews alone.[6] In 2013, representatives of the nearby Palestinian village of Krayot blamed Eli settlers for an alleged uprooting of more than 100 olive trees on property which they claim.[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.cbs.gov.il/ishuvim/ishuv2013/bycode.xls
  2. ↑ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  3. ↑ Hoberman, Haggai (2008). Keneged Kol HaSikuim [Against All Odds] (in Hebrew) (1st ed.). Sifriat Netzaim.
  4. ↑ "About us (Hebrew)".
  5. ↑ פרס על המכינה הדתית בעלי: ”גאווה למדינה“
  6. ↑ Amira Hass, 'Plan to legalize West Bank settlement of Eli paves way for its expansion,' at Haaretz, 1 June, 2013.
  7. ↑ Jack Khoury, 'More than 100 olive trees uprooted in West Bank, Palestinians report,' at [Haaretz] Oct. 19, 2013.

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