Sasa, Israel

This article is about the kibbutz. For other uses, see Sasa.

Sasa
Founded	January 1949
Founded by	Hashomer Hatzair members
Region	Upper Galilee
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Coordinates	33°1′36.83″N 35°23′40.2″E
Sasa
Website	www.sasa.org.il

Sasa (Hebrew: סָאסָא‎‎) is a kibbutz in the Upper Galilee area of northern Israel. Located one mile from the border with Lebanon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council.

History

The kibbutz was founded in January 1949 by a gar'in of North American Hashomer Hatzair members on the site of the Arab village of Sa'sa', which was demolished by the Israeli Seventh Brigade and Oded Brigade on October 30, 1948. Sasa surrendered without resistance, and allegations of Israeli atrocities later surfaced. Sa'sa' had served as headquarters of the Arab Liberation Army^{[citation needed]} before Operation Hiram. Many of the villagers from Sa'sa live in Naher al-Barid, a refugee camp in Lebanon,although some resettled in nearby Jish.

On the grounds of the kibbutz is the second century tomb of Rabbi Levi ben Sisi.

Economy

Kibbutz Sasa operates Plasan, a plastics factory that manufactures vehicle armour. The company is now a world leader in armor protection technology for vehicles. The kibbutz has signed contracts worth billions of dollars with major clients, including the U.S. military. Other branches of the economy include a dairy, in cooperation with Kibbutz Tuval; a beef herd; fruit trees (kiwi, apple, avocado and grapefruit); Bereshit, a fruit marketing company in cooperation with three other kibbutzim; and Sasa Tech, a manufacturer of technical and home care products.