Nir Am
Nir Am (Hebrew: נִירְעָם, ניר עם, lit. Nation Meadow) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located near Sderot and covering 20,000 dunams, it fall under the jurisdiction of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. In 2018 it had a population of 573.[1]
Nir Am ניר עם | |
|---|---|
 Nir Am in 1950 | |
  Nir Am  Nir Am | |
| Coordinates: 31°31′9.84″N 34°34′51.23″E | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Southern |
| Council | Sha'ar HaNegev |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Founded | 19 August 1943 |
| Founded by | Bessarabian Gordonia members |
| Area | 20,000 dunams (20 km2 or 8 sq mi) |
| Population (2018)[1] | 573 |
| • Density | 29/km2 (74/sq mi) |
| Name meaning | Nation Meadow |
| Website | www.nir-am.org.il |
History
The village was established on 19 August 1943 by immigrants from Bessarabia who were members of the Gordonia youth movement, including Zvi Guershoni, later a member of the Knesset. Over the years the kibbutz has also absorbed immigrants from Argentina, France and South Africa. During the 1948 war it was the headquarters of the Negev Brigade.[2] In a report written in March 1948 by Yaakov Riftin investigating abuses in Haganah and Palmach units, it emerged that an Arab was seized, abused and tortured, pliers being used on his genitals, and then had his head bashed against the wall at Nir Am. He was then shot dead while lying in a pit, and his body then covered over with soil. [3]
Palmach Pilots at Nir Am, 1948
Kibbutz Nir Am after fighting in 1948
Kibbutz Nir Am during Operation Yoav, October 1948
Economy
An innovative work area was created in Kibbutz Nir Am (Incubator [4], Offices and workplaces for rent to start-ups, small companies in high-tech activities).
References
- "Population in the Localities 2018" (XLS). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 25 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
- http://info.palmach.org.il/show_item.asp?levelId=38530&itemId=6347&itemType=0&obj=145860&picI=8
- Ofer Aderet, 'Why Is Israel Still Covering Up Extrajudicial Executions Committed by a Jewish Militia in '48?,' Haaretz 7 July 2018.
- http://southup.org/en/innovation-center/