Bnei Atzmon (בני עצמון) was an Israeli settlement originally founded in 1979 in the Yamit region of the Sinai peninsula as a response to Camp David Accords which promoted trading territory for peace. The settlement was relocated to the Gush Katif region of the Gaza Strip about three km north of Rafah after the signing of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty and the subsequent eviction of all Jews living in Sinai and surrender of all land there in 1982. The settlement in Sinai was originally named Atzmona, but since that location was evacuated and Israeli law forbids renaming a new location with the name of a previously existing legal entity, Bnei Atzmon (Sons of Atzmon) became the officially registered name. Nonetheless, the name Atzmona was more widely known. The Orthodox Jewish moshav was associated wןth the Amana settlement organization.

It was home to about 90 families, including just under 600 people, at the time of its destruction as a result of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan on August 17, 2005. While some form of opposition had been expected from residents in this nationalistic settlement, the actual expulsion was carried out without active or even passive resistance. The pre-army preparatory program was also pulled without resistance, with the participation of several senior army officers who had been invited especially for this "pull-out."

In July 2008, Hamas and Islamic Jihad released tapes showing their use of the settlement's former synagogue as a terrorist training base.

Education

The Regional Talmud Torah School for nearby children was located in Bnei Atzmon, as well as the prestigious pre-army service preparatory school, Otzem, with 150 students under the leadership of the Rabbi Rafi Peretz. On the settlement was a branch of the Ariel youth organization.

Economy

Several local industries provided employment for residents areas including the "Atzmona nursery" for house plants, which was the second largest in Israel, and a factory producing cleaning materials.

In the cooperative settlement, there was area of more than 50,000 dunams (50 km²) of field crops in the Besor area, 12 dunams (12,000 m²) of turkey coops, a barn, and a building company.

Notes

External links

• Aerial photo of Bnei Atzmon
• Additional Pictures