Zohar (Hebrew: זֹהַר, lit. Brightness) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located near the city of Kiryat Gat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lakhish Regional Council. In 2019 it had a population of 350.[1]
Zohar
זוהר, זֹהַר زوهر | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: Brightness | |
Zohar | |
| Coordinates: 31°35′43″N 34°41′32″E | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Southern |
| Council | Lakhish |
| Affiliation | Agricultural Union |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Founded by | Algerian and Tunisian Jews |
| Population (2019) | 350[1] |
A large lake that serves as a reservoir lies near the town.
The moshav was founded in 1956 by Jewish refugees from Algeria and Tunisia on land, that had belonged to the Arab village of al-Faluja,[2] as part of the effort to settle Hevel Lakhish.
According to Walid Khalidi, Zohar is founded on the land belonging to the depopulated Palestinian village of Burayr.[3]
Its name signifies the desire of the inhabitants to be quickly absorbed in what was then a remote frontier region. In later years, new immigrants from Iraq, Russia and Hungary settled there.[citation needed]
In the 1950s and 1960s the moshav was a target for Palestinian fedayeen who infiltrated into Israel from Gaza.[citation needed]
Lakhish Regional Council | |
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| Moshavim | |
| Community settlement |
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| Authority control |
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