Gilo encyclopedia topics

Geography

Gilo lies on Slaiyeb mountain in the southwest quadrant of Jerusalem overlooking Beit Jala, separated from Beit Jalla by a deep gorge. The Tunnels Highway to Gush Etzion runs underneath it on the east, and the settlement of Har Gilo, which shares its name, is visible on the adjacent peak. Beit Safafa and Sharafat are located north of Gilo, while Bethlehem is to the south.

Biblical Gilo

The biblical town of Gilo is mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 15:51) and the Book of Samuel (II Sam 15:12). Some scholars believe that biblical Gilo was located in the central Hebron Hills, whereas the name of the modern settlement was chosen because of its proximity to Beit Jala, possibly a corruption of Gilo. A city in the southwest part of the hill-country of Judah (Josh. 15:51), Gilo was the birthplace of Ahithophel "the Gilonite" (Josh. 15:51; 2 Sam. 15:12), and the place where he committed suicide (17:23). Gilo has been identified with Kurbet Jala, about 7 miles north of Hebron.

Land dispute

Some of land on which Gilo was built was owned by Jewish institutions prior to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, although more than 2,700 dunams of land were allegedly confiscated from Beit Jala, Beit Safafa and Sharafat. Although the Israeli government has called it a neighborhood since its annexation of East Jerusalem in 1980, the international community does not accept this designation. Many consider Gilo illegal under International Law.

A CNN memorandum to its staff stating that "We refer to Gilo as a 'Jewish neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem'... We don't refer to it as a settlement" drew criticism from Palestinians and media watch groups.

Shooting incidents

Between 2000-2002, during the first two years of the Second Intifada, there were over 400 incidences of shooting on Gilo from Beit Jala. Although Beit Jalla is predominantly Christian, it was infiltrated by Fatah's Tanzim gunmen, who positioned themselves in or near Christian homes and churches in the knowledge that a slight deviation in Israeli return fire would harm Christian buildings.

Andreas Reinecke, head of the German Liaison office to the Palestinian Authority, protested:

I would like to draw your attention in this letter to a number of incidents which occurred at "Talitakoumi" school in Beit Jala...which is funded mainly by the Protestant Church in Berlin. Over the last few days the school staff noticed attempts on the part of several armed Palestinians to use the school premises and some of its gardens for their activities. If they succeed in doing this, an Israeli reaction will be inevitable. This will have a negative impact on the continuation of the functioning of the school, in which no less than 1,000 [Christian] Palestinians study....You cannot imagine the kind of upheaval which will be provoked among the supporters of this school [in Germany] should they discover that the school premises are used as a battle ground.

The shooting included gunfire and mortar attacks. Many civilians were injured and homes facing Beit Jalla suffered extensive property damage, prompting many residents to leave. The Israeli government eventually built a cement barrier and bulletproofed the outer row of homes. The shooting on Gilo ceased entirely only after Operation Defensive Shield.