Founded 1970 | Affiliation Moshavim Movement Founded by Moshavim Movement | |
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Weather 29°C, Wind W at 5 km/h, 21% Humidity | ||
Petza'el (Hebrew: פְּצָאֵל) is a moshav and Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Jordan Valley, 34.5 kilometers from the Green line, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 250.
Contents
Map of Fatsa'el
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.
History
The settlement was established near Ma'ale Efraim in 1970 by the Moshavim Movement. In 1975 it moved to its present location 2km north of the Palestinian village of Fasayil, where the remains of the Jewish settlement of Phasaelis from the Second Temple era lie, which in turn had been named for Phasael, the brother of Herod the Great.
Near the settlement is a memorial to battles in the Jordan Valley, built in 1972.
Controversy
In April 2011, a court ruled that Petza'el has to pay NIS 750,000 to the family of Rayiq Ma'sud Dagharmeh, 35, from Tayasir, who was shot dead in 2003 by the settlement's security coordinator Shlomo Adir. The victim was a Palestinian laborer who had walked over to an area near the settlement's greenhouses to relieve himself. Adir then approached Daraghmeh, shot him multiple times, and later attempted to justify the deliberate killing by stating that Daraghmeh "was not where he was supposed to have been." Adir was charged with negligent homicide and sentenced to 200 hours of community service earlier.