Avnei Hefetz
| Avnei Hefetz אַבְנֵי חֵפֶץ | |
|---|---|
| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| • official | Avne Hefez |
| • unofficial | Avnei Chefetz |
  Avnei Hefetz | |
| Coordinates: 32°17′4.66″N 35°4′26.33″E / 32.2846278°N 35.0739806°ECoordinates: 32°17′4.66″N 35°4′26.33″E / 32.2846278°N 35.0739806°E | |
| District | Judea and Samaria Area |
| Council | Shomron |
| Region | West Bank |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founded by | Students from Karnei Shomron |
| Population (2015) | 1,709[1] |
| Name meaning | Precious stones |
Avnei Hefetz (Hebrew: אַבְנֵי חֵפֶץ, lit. Precious Stones), is an Israeli settlement (organised as a communal settlement) located on the western edge of the northern West Bank. The settlement under the administrative municipal government of the Shomron Regional Council, is located adjacent to Tulkarm, Einav and Sal'it. The nearest Israeli cities are Netanya to the west and Kfar Saba to the southwest, both about a twenty-five-minute drive away. There are four distinct neighborhoods of Avnei Hefetz: Neve Hefetz – urban, Avnei Shoham – rural, Mitzpe Hefetz – rural, Avnei Hen – rural. In 2015 its population was 1,709.
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[2]
History
Established in 1990 by a group of Israeli Orthodox Jewish students from the Karnei Shomron Hesder Yeshiva with help from Amana, Avnei Hefetz is now home to over 200 families, including hundreds of children. The name of the village comes from Isaiah 54:12:
- "And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones."
Education
There are many institutions located on the settlement: six nurseries, six kindergartens, a combined elementary school and junior high school, and a morning and evening kollel.
References
- ↑ "List of localities, in Alphabetical order" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ↑ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.