Mishmar Ayalon
Mishmar Ayalon (Hebrew: מִשְׁמַר אַיָּלוֹן, lit. Ayalon Guard) is a moshav in central Israel. Located between Latrun and Ramla on the old Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 573.[1]
Mishmar Ayalon
מִשְׁמַר אַיָּלוֹן | |
|---|---|
  Mishmar Ayalon | |
| Coordinates: 31°52′28″N 34°56′46″E | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Central |
| Council | Gezer |
| Affiliation | Moshavim Movement |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founded by | Czechoslovakian Jewish immigrants |
| Population (2021)[1] | 573 |
Etymology
The moshav overlooks the Biblical valley of Ayalon (Joshua 10:12), after which it is named.[2]
History
The moshav was founded in 1949 by a gar'in of Jewish Holocaust survivors from Czechoslovakia. The land had previously belonged to the depopulated Palestinian Arab village of Al-Qubab.[3]
The Lehi forest is located in the moshav. In 2005 a monument to Lehi fighters (the Stern Gang) was erected in the village.[4]
The moshav's main industry is agriculture, particularly focusing on fruit, vegetables and dairy farming known for their high quality cheese.
References
- "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- Carta's Official Guide to Israel and Complete Gazetteer to all Sites in the Holy Land. (3rd edition 1993) Jerusalem, Carta, p. 333, ISBN 965-220-186-3
- Khalidi, Walid (1992). All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948. Washington D.C.: Institute for Palestine Studies. p. 407. ISBN 0-88728-224-5.
- Lechi monument in the village of Mishmar Ayalon Israel and You