Ariel (city)

Ariel (Hebrew אריאל ) is a city and Israeli settlement in the West Bank ( officially: Judea and Samaria). It was founded in 1978 and is located 3 kilometers north of the Palestinian town of Salfit, about 40 kilometers east of Tel Aviv, 50 kilometers north- west of Jerusalem and 30 kilometers west of the Jordan in the hill country of the biblical Samaria.

Ariel is the fourth largest Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is located approximately 17 kilometers east of the Green Line and is located west of the barrier fence.

Name

The name Ariel literally means " Lion of God " and is in the Hebrew Bible, a paraphrase of Jerusalem and the Temple in Jerusalem ( Isaiah 29.1 to 8 EU). In 2009, the city administration to reinterpret the name in honor of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided.

History

The settlement was founded in 1978 by a group of staff of the Israeli military industry under the leadership of Mayor Ron Nachman later with 40 predominantly secular Israeli Jewish families in the heart of the northern West Bank, the biblical Samaria. The plan to build the settlement had been supported by the then defense minister Shimon Peres, the site was chosen because it was at that time a major east-west link road and Israel to control the direction of Jordan and Jordan secured.

In the early years of the settlement consisted mainly of mobile units and only a small portion of solid buildings.

1979 Ariel became part of the newly established regional administration Shomron. As early as 1985 Ariel was awarded the status of an independent municipality.

In the 1990s, doubled their population, primarily due to the influx of new immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

In 1998, Ariel had just under 15,000 inhabitants and was elevated to city administration. It describes itself as a " Jewish capital of Samaria ".

Geography

Ariel is on a 5 km long ridge at an altitude of 550 to almost 700 meters above sea level in the hills of biblical Samaria, 3 kilometers north of the Palestinian city of Salfit, 23 kilometers southwest of Nablus, about 40 kilometers east of Tel Aviv, 50 kilometers northwest of Jerusalem and about 30 kilometers west of the Jordan River. The city stretches over a length of 12 kilometers and a width of 2 kilometers. At its western end it is 16 kilometers away from the Green Line, at the eastern end of more than 20 kilometers. With Tel Aviv Ariel is connected via the Trans - Samaria Highway (Highway 5), with Jerusalem over the highway 60 (Highway 60).

Population

The population Ariel consisting mainly of secular Jewish Israelis. About half are new immigrants from the former Soviet Union, under which non - Jews are; during the Christmas season Christmas decorations and Christmas items are found in Ariel. The city also has an English-speaking community, and a number from the Gaza Strip in 2005 evacuated Jewish settlers.

1990 Ariel counted 8000 inhabitants, in 1994, over 12,000, and in 1999 the population increased for the first time over 15,000. The end of 2010 it amounted to 17,688.

The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics are at the census of 4 June 1983 November 4, 1995 and December 28, 2008, the following population figures for Ariel to:

Mayor

  • Ron Nachman (1985 to 2013)

Economy

Ariel has several industrial parks with more than 150 companies and more are under construction. Some companies specialize in technological developments in the fields of biochemistry and technology, medicine and electronics, others produce, for example, textile and plastic products for export. The operators of these companies benefit from the tax breaks and lax health and environmental regulations in the occupied territories. According to Palestinian sources, industrial waste is often disposed of on Palestinian land. The wastewater from Ariel lead to contamination in the water supply of the city of Salfit and damage to flora and fauna in the area.

Train

Ariel has several pre-, elementary and middle schools, as well as the College of Judea, founded in 1982 and Samaria, originally an offshoot of Bar - Ilan University. The college has over 10,000 students and is aligned decided Zionist. In all classrooms, auditoriums and laboratories depends on an Israeli flag and the students need to at least take a course in Jewish history, Jewish religion or Israel studies per semester. The school is funded with donations from the U.S.. Among the donors included both Jewish donors such as the Milken family also includes evangelical Christians.

In 2007, the school changed its name in Ariel University Center of Samaria. Although this decision was rejected by numerous well-known Israeli academics and criticized by the Council of Higher Education, it is recognized as a University since July 2012.

Culture and Sport

The Milken Sports and Recreation Complex was opened in 2008. The center has an Olympic-size swimming pool, whirlpool, fitness center, etc., and several cafes. The building was including through financial contributions from the Milken Family Foundation and the evangelical pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, allows his name to the main building is named.

After delays due to financing difficulties opened the Ariel Center for the Performing Arts in November 2010, a theater with about 500 seats, the productions of the leading houses of Israel shows. As part of the opening, there were several calls for boycott of Israeli actors and creative artists who also received support from abroad.

Legal issues

The settlement was built on land surrounding Palestinian villages, which had been declared state land, supposedly for military purposes. Within the city limits there are still some enclaves of Palestinian land in private ownership, its owners is access to their land, however, prohibited.

According to a report by the Israeli organization Peace Now there are 35.1 percent of the land on which the town was built. Palestinian in private property, in violation of Israeli law Since a ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court in 1979 no Israeli settlements may be built on land that is located in the Palestinian private property. The Israeli military administration in the occupied territories, on whose statistics the report is based, however, denies that the report reflects the reality correctly.

After Israeli considers Ariel among the settlements, which must remain within Israel, it should come to a peace settlement with the Palestinians. The corresponding claim of the Israeli governments in the negotiation of a two -state solution has been supported by several American presidents, including Bill Clinton in 2000, but has met with Palestinian leaders resistance, as far into the West Bank protruding settlement the Palestinian Territory would cut through. In addition, significant groundwater resources are nearby. The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem claimed that the settlers from Ariel manage their waste water on land inhabited by Palestinians and would thus seriously harm the inhabitants of Salfit.

Twin Cities

Ariel is twinned with:

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