Ariel (city)
| Ariel | ||
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| Hebrew transcription(s) | ||
| • Hebrew | אֲרִיאֵל | |
| • ISO 259 | ʔariˀel | |
| Arabic transcription(s) | ||
| • Arabic | اريئيل | |
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 Ariel
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| Coordinates: 32°6′21.6″N 35°11′16.43″E / 32.106000°N 35.1878972°ECoordinates: 32°6′21.6″N 35°11′16.43″E / 32.106000°N 35.1878972°E | ||
| Region | West Bank | |
| District | Judea and Samaria Area | |
| Founded | 1978 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | City (from 1998) | |
| • Mayor | Eliyahu Shaviro | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 14,677 dunams (14.677 km2 or 5.667 sq mi) | |
| Population (2012[1]) | ||
| • Total | 18,638 | |
| Name meaning | Lion of God | |
Ariel (Hebrew: אֲרִיאֵל; Arabic: اريئيل) is an Israeli settlement and a city in the central West Bank, some 16.5 kilometres (10.3 mi) east of the Green Line,[2] and 34 kilometres (21 mi) west of the Jordan River. Ariel was first established in 1978 and its current population stands at about 18,000 (2011) composed of veteran and young Israelis, English-speaking immigrants, and immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, with an additional influx of 10,000 students.[3][4] It is the fourth largest Jewish settlement in the West Bank,[5] after Modi'in Illit, Beitar Illit, and Ma'ale Adumim.
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.[6]
Ariel's jurisdiction spans 14,677 dunams (14.677 km2; 5.667 sq mi),[7] and borders the Palestinian towns and villages Salfit, Marda and Iskaka. Within Ariel's municipal area there are several enclaves of privately owned Palestinian land, whose owners are not allowed access to them.[2]
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Etymology[edit]
Ariel (pronounced Ari'el), literally means 'Lion of God'. "Ari" (Lion) in Hebrew is also a synonym for bravery and courage and it is also the symbol of the tribe of Judah. The city of Ariel is named after Israel’s capital city, Jerusalem.[8] Ariel in the Hebrew Bible is one of the names for Jerusalem and the Temple of Jerusalem (Isaiah 29:1-8).
History[edit]
Ariel was founded in 1978 on land that was seized for military needs and on land that was declared state land, including cultivated farmland of Palestinian villages in the district and on rocky land the villagers used for grazing their flocks.[2] At the beginning of 1978, a group of Israelis formed in order to create a settlement in the hills of the northern part of the West Bank made a formal request to the government to be given land to build a new community and were given three options by the army; the area near the 'lone tree' which would later become Barkan, the area which would later become Kfar Tapuach, and a hill near Kifl Hares that was known to the local Arabs as ' Jabel Mawat', the hill of death, because of inhospitable terrain.[9] The leader of this group, Ron Nachman, chose the latter because of its strategic location on a possible Jordanian invasion route towards Israel's main population centre of Tel Aviv. In the spring of 1978, some of the group's men erected tents on the chosen hilltop, and in August 1978, a total of forty families came to live in the settlement.[citation needed]
The original members of the group had gone through a screening process in order to put together a mix of skilled adults as well as young families that would be prepared psychologically to withstand starting a new settlement from scratch with little infrastructure and modern comforts. There were no paved roads or paths. Water was supplied periodically by a tanker truck. Electricity was provided by a generator since no electrical network existed in that area. Tents were replaced by prefabricated concrete blocks which served as living quarters, schools, and an infirmary. On September 1, 1978, the school year was officially opened.[citation needed]
Nachman, a central figure in the Likud party, presided over Ariel from 1978 until his death in January 2013, at first as head of the local council and as mayor from 1985, when the settlement was officially recognized as a city.[10] Both religious and secular Jews reside in Ariel. The city has fourteen synagogues.
Geography[edit]
Ariel is situated about 16.5 kilometres (10.3 mi) east of the Green Line and 34 kilometres (21 mi) west of the Jordan River, Jordan's western border. Ariel is adjacent to the Palestinian Authority town of Salfit and southwest of Nablus. It is approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of Petah Tikva, and 42 kilometres (26 mi) east of Tel Aviv to which it is connected by the Highway 5 and 60 kilometres (37 mi) northwest of Jerusalem, to which it is connected by Highway 60.[11]
Ariel's jurisdiction spans 14,677 dunams (14.677 km2; 5.667 sq mi),[7] and borders the Palestinian towns and villages Salfit, Marda and Iskaka. Ariel's municipal area contains several enclaves of privately owned Palestinian land, whose owners are not allowed access to them.[2]
Economy[edit]
The city has several shopping centres and two industrial zones (divided into light and heavy industry), a library. In July 2008, Israel approved the construction of 27 new factories, which were expected to be completed by September 2009.[12]
Political status[edit]
Like other settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories, Ariel is considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.[13] A series of Israeli governments has insisted that Ariel be included within Israel's future borders under any future peace treaty.[14] The Israeli Ministry of the Interior gave the municipality of Ariel the status of a city council in 1998. In January 2010, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accompanied by leading figures in his governing coalition, declared Ariel the "capital of Samaria", and an integral part of Israel.[5] In December 2010, thirty-five MKs petitioned the government to annex Ariel to Israel.[15] Palestinian representatives have opposed the incorporation of Ariel into Israel in any future settlement, arguing that the Ariel 'finger' would interrupt the territorial integrity of a Palestinian state and includes a major aquifer. Ariel's future is thus not clear: "as well as an obstacle to an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, it could also serve as a crucial trade-off for negotiators hammering out a final deal."[14]
Education and culture[edit]
Ariel is home to the Ariel University, founded in 1982. Current enrollment is 12,000, consisting of both Jewish and Arab students. On December 24, 2012, after many legal battles, the school became fully accredited and recognized as the 8th Israeli University. University status is an issue of prestige, increased government funding, as well as the ability to open post-graduate studies (which are already offered at the college) and issue doctorate degrees. Formerly called the 'Academic College of Judea and Samaria', it changed its name in August 2007 in the interim period and anticipation of achieving the more prestigious 'university' status.[citation needed]
The state-funded Ariel Center for the Performing Arts opened on November 8, 2010, with a performance of Piaf by the Beersheba Theater company.[16] These performances were boycotted by sixty Israeli actors, writers, and directors, including Joshua Sobol, who refuse to perform in settlements. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Culture Minister Limor Livnat and the leader of the Kadima Party Tzipi Livni condemned the boycott and proposed cutting government funding those participating in it.[17][18] The boycott was supported by Amos Oz, David Grossman and A. B. Yehoshua,[19] It was opposed by Amnon Shamosh, who suggested that the boycott plays into the hands of right-wing extremists by linking art and politics.[20] 150 U.S. actors supported the boycott.[21] However, five Israeli actors later withdrew from the boycott, indicating that they changed their mind or thought the letter they were signing called for a discussion on the issue rather than outright boycott.[22]
West Bank barrier[edit]
The Israeli West Bank barrier was originally planned to extend out from the Israeli border to Ariel. Under American political pressure, the "finger", as the extension of the fence to include Ariel is often called, was not built. Instead, Ariel has a security fence surrounding it on only three sides.[23]
Twin towns — Sister cities[edit]
Ariel is twinned with:
References[edit]
- ^ http://www.ketzaleh.co.il/BRPortalStorage/a/62/98/02-rKDS1yclI3.pdf
- ^ a b c d "Ariel settlement fact sheet". B'tselem. 30 August 2010, Updated 17 July 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ "Table 3 - Population of Localities Numbering Above 2,000 Residents and Other Rural Population". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2010-06-30. Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
- ^ Ariel municipality Official website
- ^ a b Lazaroff, Tovah (2010-01-29). "PM: Ariel is the 'capital of Samaria'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ "The Geneva Convention". BBC News. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
- ^ a b "Local Authorities in Israel 2005, Publication #1295 - Municipality Profiles - Ariel" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2005. Retrieved 2008-10-03. (Hebrew)
- ^ Ariel Founder details Ariel's history[dead link]
- ^ Madmon, Yifat (2008). Ariel, sipura shel ir [Ariel, story of a city] (in Hebrew) (1st ed.). p. 20.(Hebrew)
- ^ Levinson, Chaim (19 January 2013). "Ron Nachman, 'the last of the secular settlers,' who couldn't convince the Israeli public". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ Virtuel Israel Experience: Ariel The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise
- ^ Lazaroff, Tovah (2008-07-14). "W. Bank city of Ariel gets OK for 27 new factories". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ Patience, Martin Kadima victory concerns settlers BBC, 31 March 2006
- ^ a b Kershner, Isabel (2010-09-09). "A West Bank Enclave Is on Edge". New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ "Knesset members demand annexation of Ariel settlement", The Palestine Telegraph, 4 December 2010.
- ^ Levinson, Chaim (25 August 2010). "Major theaters raise curtain across Green Line". Haaretz.
- ^ Williams, Dan (29 August 2010). "Israeli actors boycott theatres in settlements". Reuters AlertNet.
- ^ Macintyre, Donald. "Israeli actors refuse to take the stage in settlement theatre", The Independent, 30 August 2010
- ^ Fyler, Boaz. "Yehoshua, Oz, Grossman back boycott of Ariel", Ynet News" 30 August 2010
- ^ Shamosh, Amnon (November 11, 2010). "Culture has no borders".
- ^ Israeli Artists Condemn Settlements, Jewish Voice for Peace
- ^ Miskin, Maayana (August 29, 2010). "Five Actors Withdraw from Ariel Boycott".
- ^ Westervelt, Eric. "Israeli Settlement Seeks Protection", National Public Radio
- ^ a b Hodorov, Irit (2008-09-26). "Gemini Sign". Yediot Petah Tikva (Yedioth Ahronoth).
- ^ "Mobile's Sister Cities". City of Mobile. Retrieved 2009-11-26., under the name "Ariel, Isreal" [sic]
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ariel (city) |
- Ariel municipality Home page Hebrew
- Ariel municipality Home page English
- Ariel University Home page English
- Ariel Center For The Performing Arts Home page Hebrew
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