Ashalim
Encyclopedia
Ashalim is a small communal settlement
in southern Israel
. Located in the Negev
desert about 35 km south of Be'er Sheva and on the eastern side of Nahal Besor
, the largest stream in the Negev, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Ramat Negev Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 271.
The new Ashalim was founded as moshav shitufi
in 1979 after moving from Bir Asluj Hill close to Golda Park (a nearby artificial lake). It was named after the original village of Ashalim, one of three nahal settlements founded between Mashabei Sadeh and Nitzana
in 1956. The name itself means Tamarix
es, a genus of shrubs and small trees. Today Ashalim functions as a communal settlement.
Ashalim is part of Israel's solar power transformation
. A 250 MW solar park in Ashalim has been in the planning stages for over five years, but it is not expected to produce power before 2013. In 2008 construction began on three solar power plants near the settlement; two thermal
and one photovoltaic.
In 2003, Kfar Adiel, a village for students of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
, was founded near Ashalim by the Ayalim Association, whose objective is to establish settlements for students and small entrepreneurs in the Negev
and the Galilee
.
Communal settlement (Israel)
A community settlement is a type of town in Israel. While in an ordinary town anyone may buy property, in a community settlement the town's residents, who are organized in a cooperative, can veto a sale of a house or a business to an undesirable buyer....
in southern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Located in the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert about 35 km south of Be'er Sheva and on the eastern side of Nahal Besor
Besor
HaBesor is a wadi in southern Israel. The stream begins at Mount Boker , and spills into the Mediterranean Sea near Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, where it is called Wadi Gaza...
, the largest stream in the Negev, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Ramat Negev Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 271.
The new Ashalim was founded as moshav shitufi
Moshav shitufi
A Moshav shitufi is a type of cooperative village in Israel whose organizational principles place it between the kibbutz and the moshav on the scale of cooperation...
in 1979 after moving from Bir Asluj Hill close to Golda Park (a nearby artificial lake). It was named after the original village of Ashalim, one of three nahal settlements founded between Mashabei Sadeh and Nitzana
Nitzana (village)
Nitzana is an educational youth village and communal settlement in the western Negev desert in Israel, adjacent to the Egyptian border. It is named for the nearby Nabataean city of Nitzana and gives its name to the Nitzana Border Crossing, formerly Auja al-Hafir.This settlement was founded in 1987...
in 1956. The name itself means Tamarix
Tamarix
The genus Tamarix is composed of about 50-60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa...
es, a genus of shrubs and small trees. Today Ashalim functions as a communal settlement.
Ashalim is part of Israel's solar power transformation
Solar power in Israel
Solar power in Israel and the Israeli solar energy industry has a history that dates to the founding of the country. In the 1950s, Levi Yissar developed a solar water heater to help assuage an energy shortage in the new country. By 1967 around one in twenty households heated its water with the...
. A 250 MW solar park in Ashalim has been in the planning stages for over five years, but it is not expected to produce power before 2013. In 2008 construction began on three solar power plants near the settlement; two thermal
Solar thermal energy
Solar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy . Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low-temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat...
and one photovoltaic.
In 2003, Kfar Adiel, a village for students of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is a university in Beersheba, Israel, established in 1969. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has a current enrollment of 17,400 students, and is one of Israel's fastest growing universities....
, was founded near Ashalim by the Ayalim Association, whose objective is to establish settlements for students and small entrepreneurs in the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
and the Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
.
External links
- Ashalim Negev Information Center