Yafit
Yafit (Hebrew: יַפִית, lit. Beautiful) is an Israeli settlement organized as a moshav shitufi in the West Bank.[2] Located in the Jordan Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council.[2] In 2019 it had a population of 202.
Yafit | |
|---|---|
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  Yafit | |
| Coordinates: 32°3′41.34″N 35°28′26.69″E | |
| District | Judea and Samaria Area |
| Council | Bik'at HaYarden |
| Region | West Bank |
| Affiliation | Moshavim Movement |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founded by | Israeli civilians |
| Population (2019)[1] | 202 |
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[3]
History
According to ARIJ, in 1980 Israel confiscated 1,294 dunams of land from the Palestinian village of Al-Jiftlik in order to construct Yafit.[4]
Yafit was built in the 1980s on a plot of rocky land in the Jordan Valley by Israelis attracted by the beauty of the desert.[5] It was named after Yossi Yafa, an IDF commander. In 1992 the founders were joined by immigrants from Russia. In the 1990s, it was one of the largest communities in the valley and a cultural and educational center. Due to drive-by shootings by Palestinians on Route 90, which passes the mountain where the New Testament says Jesus was tempted by the devil, many residents have left.[5]
References
- "Population in the Localities 2019" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- http://www.jordanvalley.org.il/page_49305
- "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- Al Jiftlik Village Profile p. 17, ARIJ
- Israelis drawn by beauty flee Jordan valley violence