Yitav
Yitav
Coordinates: 31°56′50″N 35°25′23″E / 31.94722°N 35.42306°E / 31.94722; 35.42306
District	Judea and Samaria Area
Council	Bik'at HaYarden
Region	West Bank
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Founded	1970
Founded by	Nahal
Population  (2022)[1]	261

Yitav (Hebrew: יִיטַ"ב, an abbreviation of Yad Yitzhak Tabenkin) is an Israeli settlement and moshav shitufi in the southern Jordan Valley of the West Bank.^[2] Located just north of Jericho and west of the Palestinian village of al-Auja, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bik'at HaYarden Regional Council.^[2] In 2022 it had a population of 261.

The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.^[3]

History

According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated 499 dunams of land from the Palestinian village of Al-Auja in order to construct Yitav.^[4]

Niran was established as a Nahal settlement in 1970, Yitav was recognised by the state in 1977, and began operating as a kibbutz.^[2] It was named a memorial (Hebrew: yad) to Yitzhak Tabenkin, one of the leaders of the Israeli kibbutz movement.^{[citation needed]} It subsequently reorganized into a moshav shitufi (though remaining within the Kibbutz Movement), whose members today are immigrants from the former Soviet Union (34 families).^{[citation needed]}

Nature

Subtropical agriculture is the main economic activity in Yitav (dates, bananas, vegetables), although some members have outside jobs in the surrounding area or in Jerusalem.^{[citation needed]}

Yitav Nature Reserve located 4 km west of Yitav covers the canyon of Nahal Yitav (Wadi al-Auja) with its springs.^{[citation needed]}