Establishment of Kfar Adumim
The idea of establishing a city east of Jerusalem first emerged in a political strategy initiated by Yigal Alon in 1967, shortly after the Six Day War. The initially proposed name for the city was "Upper Jericho" and the primary objective of the endeavor was to bolster Jewish presence in the vicinity of Jerusalem. In September 1979, Kfar Adumim was established in the northern region of the Judean Desert. The timing of its establishment, a few days prior to the High Court's hearing on a petition opposing land expropriation, was a preemptive move in anticipation of a potential injunction. The High Court dismissed the petition raised by Mokhtar of the village of Anata, and the allocation of land for the settlement was officially approved during a government assembly in October, 1979.
20 families initially moved into the settlement.
The foundational document of the settlement from 1979 articulates that "the area is void of permanent settlement in general and of Jewish settlement in particular... in the area there are many Bedouins who are also engaged in agricultural work.”
Due to the region’s military use, and the fact that a significant part of its industry served the country’s security infrastructure, a decision was made to evacuate and close off areas designated for Bedouin residences. The document further outlines that "the space must be filled with communal Jewish settlements, thereby creating a Jewish corridor from the coast, through Jerusalem, to the Jordan River. Such a corridor will interrupt the sequence of Arab settlements between Judea and Samaria... an urban/rural Arab settlement that is spreading at an incredible rate along the axis from Jerusalem to the east. Halting this continuous expansion necessitates immediate action through the following means:
1. Establishment of urban neighborhoods in Anata that will become part of Jerusalem
2. Administrative restriction of further development of the Arab villages in the region, implemented by an effective outline plan.”
The document is signed by former minister Uri Arieli, representing the Jewish Home party.
In the table: An accurate record of all Bedouin villages of the Jahalin tribe in the Judean Desert. Registration includes the number of families in each location and their names.
On the map: Bedouin communities in the northern Judean desert
