Negba
Encyclopedia
Negba is a kibbutz
in the northern Negev
, Israel
. Located near the cities of Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council
. The kibbutz has 600 residents and covers an area of 12,000 dunams.
The name of the kibbutz is based on a verse in the Book of Genesis (13:14), where God commands Abraham
to cast his eyes and travel throughout the land of Israel
, toward the north, south, east and west. The word "negba" means "southward" in Biblical Hebrew.
enterprise. The first settlers were members of Hashomer Hatzair
from Poland. It was the southernmost Jewish settlement in Mandate Palestine.
In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
, the Israeli military engaged in many battles with Egypt. When the Egypt
ians invaded on 15 May 1948, their forces advanced and captured the police station, Iraq-Suweidan, a Tegart fort
named after the nearby Arab village, that controlled the route to the Negev
. Aside from the police station, the Egyptians seized Arab villages near the kibbutz, from which they attacked Jewish vehicles traveling on the roads from Ashkelon to Hebron and Jerusalem.
The kibbutz was destroyed in the heavy fighting which went on for three months. On November 9, 1948, after the defeat of the Egyptian army in Operation Yoav
, the police station was captured by the Israel Defense Forces
.
A memorial to the fallen soldiers was constructed next to the military cemetery: a man and a woman from the kibbutz with a fighting soldier. Next to the memorial statue stands an Egyptian tank. The kibbutz water tower, pockmarked with bullet holes, is a testimony to the fierce battle.
, operate Hamei Yoav, a spa with hot springs and thermo-mineral baths.
Under a new financial arrangement, members who left the kibbutz years ago are now returning as "economically independent members." They live in residences registered in their own name and are partners with equal rights and obligations in the communal element of the kibbutz (education, culture, welfare and infrastructure) but not in the productive assets (agriculture, industrial enterprises and shares in the dairy cooperative Tnuva
).
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
in the northern 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'...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Located near the cities of Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, it falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council
Yoav Regional Council
Yoav Regional Council is a regional council in the South District of Israel. It is located near the cities of Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon...
. The kibbutz has 600 residents and covers an area of 12,000 dunams.
The name of the kibbutz is based on a verse in the Book of Genesis (13:14), where God commands Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
to cast his eyes and travel throughout the land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
, toward the north, south, east and west. The word "negba" means "southward" in Biblical Hebrew.
Battle for Negba, 1948
Kibbutz Negba was founded on July 12, 1939 as part of the tower and stockadeTower and stockade
Tower and stockade was a settlement method used by Zionist settlers in the British Mandate of Palestine during the 1936–39 Arab revolt, when the establishment of new Jewish settlements was restricted by the Mandatory authorities...
enterprise. The first settlers were members of Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair is a Socialist–Zionist youth movement founded in 1913 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, and was also the name of the group's political party in the Yishuv in the pre-1948 British Mandate of Palestine...
from Poland. It was the southernmost Jewish settlement in Mandate Palestine.
In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, the Israeli military engaged in many battles with Egypt. When the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ians invaded on 15 May 1948, their forces advanced and captured the police station, Iraq-Suweidan, a Tegart fort
Tegart fort
A Tegart fort is a style of militarized police "fortress" constructed throughout Palestine during the British Mandatory period.The forts are named after British police officer and engineer Sir Charles Tegart, who designed them in 1938 based on his experiences in the Indian insurgency.Tens of the...
named after the nearby Arab village, that controlled the route to 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'...
. Aside from the police station, the Egyptians seized Arab villages near the kibbutz, from which they attacked Jewish vehicles traveling on the roads from Ashkelon to Hebron and Jerusalem.
The kibbutz was destroyed in the heavy fighting which went on for three months. On November 9, 1948, after the defeat of the Egyptian army in Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav
Operation Yoav was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15–22 October 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between the Egyptian forces along the coast and the Beersheba–Hebron–Jerusalem road and ultimately to conquer the whole Negev...
, the police station was captured by the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
.
A memorial to the fallen soldiers was constructed next to the military cemetery: a man and a woman from the kibbutz with a fighting soldier. Next to the memorial statue stands an Egyptian tank. The kibbutz water tower, pockmarked with bullet holes, is a testimony to the fierce battle.
Economy
The kibbutz economy is based on poultry, cattle, orchards, vegetables and two factories. It also has a history museum featuring a reconstructed model of the tower and stockade settlements. Negba, along with Sde YoavSde Yoav
Sde Yoav is a kibbutz in south-central Israel. Located between the cities of Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council.-History:...
, operate Hamei Yoav, a spa with hot springs and thermo-mineral baths.
Under a new financial arrangement, members who left the kibbutz years ago are now returning as "economically independent members." They live in residences registered in their own name and are partners with equal rights and obligations in the communal element of the kibbutz (education, culture, welfare and infrastructure) but not in the productive assets (agriculture, industrial enterprises and shares in the dairy cooperative Tnuva
Tnuva
Tnuva, or Tenuvah, is a cooperative in Israel specializing in milk and dairy products. The 620 members of the cooperative are made up a large number of kibbutzim and moshavim in Israel...
).