Eyal

Geography

Eyal is located in central Israel within the green line in the central Sharon region, and just to the east of Highway 6. It is approximately 6 km north-east of the city of Kfar Saba. Just to its north-east is the city of Kokhav Ya'ir, and west of the city of Tzur Yigal. To its north-west is the Israeli Arab city of Tira, and to its south is the Palestinian city of Qalqilyah.

History

Eyal was established in 1949 by Nahal volunteers. Israel sought to establish security settlements along its borders, and Eyal was established on what was then the Jordanian border. It is just north of the West Bank town of Qalqilyah.

Economy

The kibbutz initially grew citrus fruits, avocados, bananas, alfalfa, mangos, guavas, peanuts and cotton. They also raised chickens and dairy cows. The banana trees were ploughed under, the guava and mango trees as well, and the sharp drop in world cotton prices forced Eyal, like many other kibbutzim, to stop growing cotton. As profitability for Israeli citrus export is negligible, the kibbutz has significantly reduced its investment in their groves. Eyal still grows field crops, and maintains dairy cows.

Like many kibbutzim, Eyal welcomed volunteer workers from around the world. Volunteers provided much needed help at harvest time, and also added to the workforce in the refet (dairy), chicken houses as well as the children's house.

The collapse of a viable future for kibbtzim as agricultural communities, meant that kibbutzim, like Eyal, had to turn to small industry as the means to avoid economic collapse. The Government of Israel, which had provided tax breaks to the agricultural communities, and which owned much of the land occupied by the kibbutzim, had to rewrite the definition of a kibbutz in order to support the shift from farming to industry and outside employment.

With the economic upheaval suffered across the kibbutz movement, Eyal underwent dramatic adjustments. Approximately 35% of the roughly 250 members of Eyal now make their living outside the kibbutz, and they established new businesses in the community.

Industries in the kibbutz include an optical factory, an electronics firm, an engineering consultancy and a winery.

Attractions

Keren Sahar Vintage Auto Museum houses a collection of vintage cars, featuring British automobiles from the 1930s and 40s.

Saslove Winery has a temperature-controlled barrel room, a lab, and an open space where the club meetings and wine seminars are held.

In a field not far from the kibbutz sits a small domed structure, traditionally the burial place of Simeon, son of the patriarch Jacob.