Otzem (Hebrew: עֹצֶם) is a moshav in southern Israel. Located in Hevel Lakhish, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lakhish Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 774.[1]
Otzem
עֹצֶם, עוצם عوتسيم | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Etymology: Intensity | |
  Otzem | |
| Coordinates: 31°38′9″N 34°42′11″E / 31.63583°N 34.70306°E | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Southern |
| Council | Lakhish |
| Affiliation | Moshavim Movement |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founded by | Moroccan immigrants |
| Population (2022)[1] | 774 |
| Website | [1] |
History
editThe moshav was founded in 1955 by Jewish immigrants from Morocco.
According to Palestinian historian Walid Khalidi, the moshav's establishment was part of the effort to settle the region on land that had belonged to the depopulated Palestinian village of Iraq Suwaydan.[2]
The name, which means "intensity", refers to the intensity of the battles that took place here between the Israel Defense Forces and the Egyptian army during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[citation needed]
Archaeology
editIn 1956, a small church with mosaic floors and Greek inscriptions, dating from the fifth to sixth centuries AD, was excavated here.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 109. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
- ^ "XVIII. Ozem", Volume 3 South Coast: 2161-2648, De Gruyter, pp. 361–366, 2014-07-14, doi:10.1515/9783110337679.361, ISBN 978-3-11-033767-9, retrieved 2024-02-25
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