Gonen
גּוֹנֵן | |
---|---|
Etymology: Defended | |
Coordinates: 33°7′21″N 35°38′47″E / 33.12250°N 35.64639°E | |
Country | Israel |
District | Northern |
Council | Upper Galilee |
Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
Founded | 13 August 1951 |
Founded by | Nahal |
Population (2022)[1] | 372 |
Website | kgonen.org.il |
Gonen (Hebrew: גּוֹנֵן, lit. Defended) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Finger of the Galilee near Kiryat Shmona, the kibbutz falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 372.[1]
Gonen was established on 13 August 1951 as a Nahal settlement[2] on the land of the Palestinian village of Ghuraba, which had become depopulated in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[3]
It was civilianised a year later by a group of Hebrew Scouts.[4] It was the first Nahal settlement to convert to civilian control.
Its name is derived from the Book of Kings and symbolized the settlement's strategic location and proximity to the pre-Six-Day War Israel–Syria border, established in the 1949 Armistice Agreements. During the 1949–1967 period, the village's vicinity was the site of numerous skirmishes with the Syrian army.[4]
Since 1994, the kibbutz has been in the process of conversion to a community settlement.[4]
The economy of Gonen is based upon agriculture, including corn, citrus fruits, and the raising of cattle. There is also a mini-market and a guest house.